Know the Etymology: 256
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 25 May 2013

Hevana-gama, Hewa-gama, Mal-hewa

ஹெவனக₃ம, ஹெவக₃ம, மல்ஹெவ
Hevanagama
Hewagama
Malhewa

Hevana+gama
Hewa+gama
Mal+hewa

The shady-grove village/ the shelter village/ the shady passage
The shady grove of flowers

Hewana	Also Sewana: shade, shelter (Sinhala); Hewana-kara’nawaa: to shelter or screen from light and heat, to shade (Sinhala); Hewaniya: shade, shelter, preservation (Sinhala); Hewanælla: shadow (Sinhala); Hewenawaa: to be sheltered (Sinhala); Kaava’nam: shed with a flat roof, pandal, grove (Tamil, DED 1486); Kaava’na: shade, shed, pandal (Kannada, DED 1486); related to Kaa: protection, shelter, grove (Tamil, DED 1416, 1418); Hiyani: shadow (Dhivehi/ Maldivian); Hiya: shade, shelter, roof refuge (Dhivehi/ Maldivian)
Gama	village, road (Sinhala): Graama: troop, village (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4368); Gaama: village (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 4368); Gama: course (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4025); way (Prakrit, CDIAL 4025); Gamana: going (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4027); journey (Pali, CDIAL 4027); Gamatha: traveller (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4026)
Mal	(plural), Mala: (singular) flower (Sinhala); Malar: (verb) to open as a flower; (noun) full-blown flower, blossom (Tamil, DED 4739)

Hewana in Sinhala means shade or shelter. Hewaniya means shade, shelter and preservation. Hewanælla is shadow.

Hewana-kara’nawaa and Hewanawaa are the verb forms; the former meaning to shelter, to shade, to screen from light and heat, and the latter meaning ‘to be sheltered’.

Hewana and Hewa, coming as place name components in Sinhala, seem to mean the same: a shady place such as a grove or a shelter.

The closest cognates for Hewana seem to be the Tamil word Kaava’nam and the Kannada word Kaava’na, meaning shade, a shed or a pandal. The Tamil cognate also means a grove.

Kaava’nam and Kaava’na are listed as words of Dravidian etymology (DED 1486)

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Kaava’nam as shed/ pandal:

“thiruma’nam chey kaava’naththea” (Nampiyaa’ndaar nampi, 9:61)

“திருமணம் செய் காவணத்தே” (நம்பியாண்டார் நம்பி, 9:61)

In the marriage pandal (temporary hall)


Kaava’nam as a shelter or hall:

“Theavaasiriyan enum thiruk kaava’nam” (Periyapuraa’nam, 137)

“தேவாசிரியன் எனும் திருக் காவணம்” (பெரியபுராணம், 137)

In the sacred shelter or hall called Theavaasiriyan (it was a place where the devotees of Siva were sheltered at the Thiruvaaroor temple)




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Gama in Sinhala, commonly meaning a village, is etymologically Indo-Aryan (CDIAL 4368), related to Graama in Sanskrit and Gaama in Pali/ Prakrit.

However, Gama also means a road, journeying etc., in Sinhala, and in these shades of meaning the word is related to Gama meaning a course in Sanskrit and meaning a way in Prakrit (CDIAL 4025). There are also other entries in CDIAL (4026, 4027) such as Gamatha and Gamana, meaning traveller, journey and going.

Therefore, other than meaning a shady village, Hewana-gama and Hewa-gama could also mean a shady passage or a road lined by trees.

Mal in Sinhala, meaning flower, is etymologically related to Malar in Tamil meaning the same. Malar, which is both a verb as well as a noun in Tamil, is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 4739).

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Hewana-gama is a village in Padiyathalawa division of Ampaa’rai district.

Hewa-gama is in Kaduwela division of Colombo district.

Mal-hewa is a place in Kothmale division of Nuwara Eliya district

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Some related place names:

Hewana: The shady grove or shelter; Mallawapitiya division, Kurunegala district; Mahawewa division, Puththa’lam district

Hewan-wela: The paddy field having a shady grove or the paddy field in the shady grove; Galewela division, Matale district

Hewana-kumbura: The paddy field having a shady grove or the paddy field in the shady grove; Welimada division, Badulla district

Hewanælla-garaya: The shady house; Kuliyapitiya East division, Kurunegala district. Gara: house (Sinhala); Ghara: house (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 4428)

Hewa-pola: The shady market place; Mallawapitiya division, Kurunegala district

Hewa-vissa: The shady home or region; Pathahewaheta division, Kandy district. Visaya, Vishaya: home, province (Sinhala)

Malle-hewa: The shady grove of flowers; Kaduwela district, Colombo district; Bibile division, Moneragala district

Mal-hewa-ge-ayna: The locality of the house in the shady grove of flowers; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district. Ayina: side, border (Sinhala); Ayal: neighbourhood, adjacent place (Tamil, DED 189)

Hewainna: Hewa-ayina: the shady locality or shelter locality; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district. Ayina: side, border (Sinhala); Ayal: neighbourhood, adjacent place (Tamil, DED 189)

Hewadi-wela: The paddy field of the shady grove: Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Atada-hewathu-goda: Atada-hewa-wathu-goda; The side or quarter of the shady-grove bank/ hill; Habaraduwa division, Galle district. Ata: side, quarter (Sinhala); Wathu: grove, garden (Sinhala)

First published: Saturday, 25 May 2013, 23:50