Know the Etymology: 260
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 31 May 2013

Wætiya, Amu’nu-wætiya, Gal-wætiya

Vaeṭiya,
Amuṇu-vaeṭiya,
Gal-vaeṭiya

Wætiya
Amu’nu+wætiya
Gal+wætiya


The dam or bank
The dam for irrigation or the bank of a paddy field
The stone-made dam or bank

Wætiya	(singular) Bank of a river, pond, lake, etc., artificial bank, dam, banks in the rice fields that dam in the water and serve as pathways (Sinhala); Wæti: Plural of Wætiya (Sinhala); Wætu: Road, path (Sinhala); 1.Veddu: (verb) to cut, cut off, dig, to clear by cutting etc., (noun) a cut (Tamil, DED 5478); Veddi: (adverb) Breaking the flow of water, cutting a canal (Tamil); (noun) Canal or dam or bank (Tamil, inscriptions, 1545 CE, Epigraphia Indica xxix, 9); Vaddai: Path (Tamil, Kallaadam 40: 8-13; Na’lave’npaa 2:127); Vaadai: street (Tamil, Pingkala Nika’ndu 4:193); 2.Varti: projecting rim (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11360); Vatti: circumference, rim, brim (Pali, CDIAL 11360); connected to Va’lai: (verb) to surround; (noun) circle (Tamil, DED 5313); Va’laivu: circle, circumference (Tamil, DED 5313); Vaddam: circle, circumference (Tamil); pond, lake (Tamil, Thivaakaram Lexicon 5:61)
Amu’nu	A temporary dam for diverting or stopping the water of a stream for the purpose of irrigation, the bank in a paddy field (Sinhala); Related to Am, Aam: Water (Tamil, DED 187); Ama: Water (Sinhala). See columns on Amu’nu-kumpura and Ampaara
Gal	Stone, rock (Sinhala); Kal: Stone, rock (Tamil, DED 1298)

Wætiya in Sinhala stands for a bank of a river, pond, lake etc. It also means an artificial bank, dam and banks in the rice fields serving as pathways. The plural form of the word is Wæti.

As banks usually serve as pathways, a related word Wætu in Sinhala means a road or path.

The etymology of the Sinhala word could be traced to two roots: Vetti and Vatti, as the Æ in Sinhala could be A or E in other South Asian languages.

Veddi in Tamil, in this context, means a breakwater, dam, canal etc. The cognate from the root Veddu, meaning to cut or dig, is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 5478).

The other possibility is tracing the etymology to Vatta, meaning a circumference and implying the meaning to a bank. Varti in Sanskrit and Vatti in Pali are related in this way to Wætiya in Sinhala by the Comparative Dictionary of Indo Aryan Languages (CDIAL 11360).

Vatta in Indo Aryan and also in Tamil usage is related to Va’lai in Dravidian (‘L > T), meaning a circle (DED 5313) and Va’laivu meaning circumference (DED 5313).

Note the following usage examples inTamil:

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Veddi as a verb form, meaning damming a river:

“Veddich chuzhiyidda kaavirikku choa'naadu vaazha vazhi vidda vaa'l kaa'na vaareer” (Oddakkooththar 1:84:5)

“வெட்டிச் சுழியிட்ட காவிரிக்கு சோணாடு வாழ வழி விட்ட வாள் காண வாரீர்” (ஒட்டக்கூத்தர் 1:84:5)

Come to see the valour of the sword that provided way for the dammed and surging River Kaaviri, to the prosperity of the Chola country


Veddi as a verb form, meaning the making of irrigation canals from a dam:

“Kadduk kaal veddi theeng karumpu thantha paim punal” (Champanthar Theavaaram 1:126:10)

“கட்டுக் கால் வெட்டி தீங் கரும்பு தந்த பைம் புனல்” (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம் 1:126:10)

The cool waters that provided the sweet sugar cane, through canals made from the dam


Veddi as a noun meaning a dam or bank:

“Thiruchchiraappa'l'li ma'n koaddaikku vadakku…u'raiyoor veddikku kizhakku thirukkaavearikku thetku” (Epigraphia Indica, xxix, 9)

“திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி மண் கோட்டைக்கு வடக்கு…உறையூர் வெட்டிக்கு கிழக்கு திருக்காவேரிக்கு தெற்கு” (Epigraphia Indica, xxix, 9)

North of the earthen fort at Thiruchchiraap-pa'l'li, east of the dam or bank at U'raiyoor and south of the auspicious Kaaveari River


Vaddai meaning a path:

“Vaddai nadanthu” (Na'lave'npaa, 2:127)

“வட்டை நடந்து” (நளவெண்பா, 2:127)

Walking the path


Vaddam meaning a pond, lake or reservoir:

“Alanthai… vaddam vaavi” (Thivaakara Nika’ndu 5:61)

“அலந்தை… வட்டம் வாவி” (திவாகர நிகண்டு 5:61)

Alanthai….(and) Vaddam means a reservoir or lake


Vaddai meaning the limits:

“Kadalum ve’l’lamum pakuthiyum vaddaiyum mathilum vaari aamea” (Pingkala Nika1ndu, 10: 1026)

“கடலும் வெள்ளமும் பகுதியும் வட்டையும் மதிலும் வாரி ஆமே” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு, 10: 1026)

The sea, flood pool, part, Vaddai, and enclosing walls mean Vaari

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Wætiya is a village name in the Ambalanthota division of Hambantota district. There is another village with the same name in Pallama division of Puththa’lam district.

Amu’nu-wætiya is a village in Ipalogama division of Anuradhapura district.

Gal-wætiya is in Wattala division of Gampaha district.

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Some related place names:

Eriya-wætiya: The dam of the lake; Kelaniya division of Gampaha district

Egoda Eriya-wætiya: The opposite bank of Eriya-wætiya (dam of the lake); Kelaniya division of Gampaha district

First published: Friday, 31 May 2013, 23:48