Know the Etymology: 252
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 05 April 2017

Damana, Damahana, Daṁbuva, Daṁbāna, Daṁbarāva

த₃மன, த₃மஹன, த₃ம்பு₃வ, த₃ம்பா₃ன, த₃ம்ப₃ராவ
Damana, Damahana, Daṁbuva, Daṁbāna, Daṁbarāva

Damana
Damahana
Daṁbuva
Daṁba+arāva

The burnt-savannah cultivation field; or the Patana grassland

The burnt-savannah cultivation field; or the Patana grassland

The burnt-jungle cultivation field

The burnt place or burnt forest (for cultivation)

The burnt-jungle cultivation field, newly annexed

Damana	the Patana (open glade) type of grassland that is often burnt for cultivation, a cultivation field prepared by burning a Patana grassland or jungle (Sinhala); Patana, also a burnt Chēna (Sinhala, Codrington); "Patana, Dẹvū-hēna" (spoken Sinhala, Sorata cites Codrington); a kind of savannah with larger trees scattered more widely than those found in Talāva (Sinhala, Madduma Bandara, 2009); Dam-āna: the place to burn or cut; Dam: = "Dẹvunu" (Sinhala, Sorata); = "Pilissunu, Kẹpunu"; to burn, to cut (Sinhala, Sorata); Āna: place, forest; "Sthānaya, Vanaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Dam+āna > Damana; Daṁbu-āna: the place to burn; Daṁbu: land of which the jungle has been felled and fired before cultivation (Sinhala, Codrington); "Kẹlệ kapā dẹvū hēna" (spoken Sinhala, Sorata cites Codrington); Daṁbu+āna > Daṁbāna > Damana; note the nasalisation; 1. Tamaṇa: fireplace (Prakrit, CDIAL 5672); Tapana: burning (Pali, CDIAL; 5672); Tap: (verb) to give out heat, be hot (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, M.Willams; the root cited in CDIAL 5672); 2. Dhama: blowing (as in a furnace), (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6730); Dhamati: blows, kindles (Pali, CDIAL, CDIAL 6731); Dahana: fire, burning by fire, consuming by fire, scorching, destroying (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 6246, M. Williams); Dah: (verb) to burn, consume by fire, scorch, roast (Sanskrit, M. Willams, to root is cited in CDIAL 6246); Dāva: forest (always associated with fire), fire (Sanskrit, CDIAL, 6311); Dava: burning, forest on fire (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6223); 3. Dagnā: (verb) to burn, set fire to (Kurux, DED 2998); Daggane: with a blaze (Kannada, DED 2998); Taka-taka: onomatopoeic expression of dazzling, glowing (Tamil, DED 2998); 4. Tarp: (verb) to set fire to (Naikri, DED 3115); to light fire (Kolami, DED 3115); Tarmi: fire (Gondi, DED 3115); traced to Taḻal, Taḻaṉ: (verb) to burn; (noun) fire, live coals, ember (Tamil, DED 3115); 5. Tīppu: scorching, blackening by fire (Tamil, DED 3266, from the verb and noun Tī)
Damahana	variation of Damana by addition of H. See box on Damana
Daṁbu	land of which the jungle has been felled and fired before cultivation (Sinhala, Codrington); "Kẹlệ kapā dẹvū hēna" (spoken Sinhala, Sorata cites Codrington). See box on Damana for etymology
Daṁbāna	Daṁbu+āna; Daṁbu: see box on Daṁbu; Āna: place, forest; Sthānaya, Vanaya (Sinhala, Sorata)
Daṁbarāva	Daṃbu+arāva: Daṁbu: see box on Daṁbu; Arāva: newly cleared cultivation field. See column 336
Daṁba	1. the tree Eugenia jambolana, "Jambu-gasa" (Sinhala, Sorata); 2. rock, hill, "Gala" (Sinhala, Sorata); With a question mark, Sorata cites the example of the name Maha-giri-daṁbaya for the place Daṁbulla; while many of the Daṁba-related place names may mean the tree, some may be variation of Daṁbu and may mean a burnt field. See related place names under Daṁba

In their basic meaning, the Sinhala toponyms, Damana, Damahana, Daṁbuva, Daṁbāna and Daṁbarāva, are related to the act of burning.

They stand for a tract of land where cultivation fields are prepared by burning a savannah, jungle etc., or they stand for a cultivation field prepared in such a way.

Damana in Sinhala is explained as a Patana type of grassland as well as a burnt Chena. The Patana grassland is a kind of savannah sparsely having trees. Slash-and-burn or shifting cultivation is relatively easier in this tract. The term Damana primarily means a place for burning. The grassland meaning is secondary. However, in usage, Damana commonly means the savannah type of grassland found with trees. Note the tree names associated with Damana in the related place names.

Another term Daṁbu in Sinhala is explained as a land of which the jungle has been felled and fired before cultivation.

The root Dam seen in all the said toponyms, mean Dẹvunu, i.e., to burn or to cut in Sinhala (Sorata).

Dam, in its meaning to burn, finds verb cognates both in Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. See box for cognates.

Some comparable place names like, Tampaṉa-veḷi, Tampaṉai, Tampu-vattai, Tampa-ciṭṭi etc., are found in Eezham Tamil also. They come under another column.

Daṁba in Sinhala commonly means the Eugenia Jambolana tree. Sorata gives yet another meaning, Gala (rock, hill), for Daṁba, as in the case of Daṁbulla. While Damana and Daṁbu mean a Chena field, only some place names listed under Daṁba may mean such a field. Others may mostly mean the tree. See related place names.

* * *

Damana is headquarters of a division by its name in Ampara district.

Damahana is in Balangoda division of Ratnapura district.

Daṁbuva is a place in Ja-Ela division of Gampaha district.

Daṁbāna is a place in Mahiyanganaya division of Badulla district.

Daṁbarāva is noticed as a place name in Kundasale division of Kandy district and in Mahiyanganaya division of Badulla district.

* * *


Some related place names:

Damana:

Damana-gama: Damana, Ampara

Kaduru-gas-damana: Rambewa, Anuradhapura

Hińgurak-damana: Lankapura, Polonnaruwa

Gini-damana: Welikada, Polonnaruwa

Magul-damana: Dimbulagala, Polonnaruwa

Maha-damana: Dimbulagala: Polonnaruwa

Damana-Gẹmuṇupura: Thamankaduwa, Polonnaruwa

Palu-gas-damana: Thamankaduwa, Polonnaruwa

Maḍu-damana: Elahera, Polonnaruwa,

Damana-yāya: Elahera, Polonnaruwa

* * *


Daṁbu:

Daṁbuṭuva: Mirigama, Gampaha. Daṁbu+aṭuva

Dunu-daṁbu-vẹva: Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura

* * *


Daṁba:

Daṁbara: Horana, Kalutara

Daṁbōra: Padukka, Colombo

Daṁba-hēna: Maharagama, Colombo

Daṁba-duraya: Katana, Gampaha

Daṁbē-piṭiya: Minipe, Kandy

Daṁba-vela: Kandy Four Gravets, Kandy

Daṁbē-vẹlệna: Thissamaharama, Hambantota

Daṁbē-talāva: Katuwana, Hambantota; Uhana, Ampara

Daṁba-deṇiya: Narammala, Kurunegala; Mahaoya, Ampara

Daṁbē: Polpithigama, Kurunegala

Daṁba-kẹlē: Chilaw, Puttalam

Daṁba-koṭē: Passara, Badulla

Daṁbē-vela: Passara, Badulla

Daṁbē-tẹnna: Haputale, Badulla

Daṁbē-maḍa: Kolonna, Ratnapura

Daṁba-vaṭavana: Galewela, Matale

Daṁba-golla: Galewela, Matale; Naula, Matale; Rattota, Matale; Kothmale, Nuwara Eliya; walapane, Nuwara Eliya; Mahiyanganaya, Badulla

Daṁbē-vaṭana: Kekirawa, Anuradhapura

Aḷut-daṁbē-vaṭana: Ipalogama, Anuradhapura

Daṁba-vinna: Welimada, Badulla; Godakawela, Ratnapura

* * *


Daṁba: (probably in the meaning, Gala: rock, hill)

Daṁbulla: Dambulla, Matale; Rambukkana, Kegalle. According to Sorata, Daṁbulla is related to Maha-giri-daṁbaya, and Daṁba in this instance means "Gala" (rock)

Daṁba-giri-gama: Narammala, Kurunegala

Daṁba-galla: Madulla, Moneragala

* * *


Daṃbulu: (Daṁba+ulu; Ulu: forest, see column 109)

Daṁbulu-gama: Dambulla, Matale

Daṁbulu Halmilla-vẹva: Palagala, Anuradhapura

Daṁbuḷu-vana: Elapatha, Ratnapura

* * *


Daṁba: (definitely meaning the Daṁba tree)

Daṁba-gaha-piṭiya: Udadumbara, Kandy

Daṁba-gaha-vela: Minipe, Kandy; Badalkumbura, Moneragala


Revised: Wednesday, 05 April 2017, 20:25

First published: Tuesday, 14 May 2013, 05:41