Know the Etymology: 268
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 27 July 2013

Ku'lakkaadu, Vaarivanam

குளக்காடு,
வாரிவனம்
Kuḷakkāṭu,
Vārivaṉam

Ku’lak+kaadu
Vaari+vanam

The jungle of the pond
The tract of ponds and jungles

Vaari	Waterway, sluice (Tamil, DED 5356); Water (Tamil, Thirukku’ral 2:4); Sea (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 6:128); Rain, flood, water flowing out (Tamil); Vaar: (verb) To flow, overflow, to pour (Tamil, DED 5356); Cognates giving the waterway meaning is found in 14 Dravidian languages (DED 5356); Vaari: Water, rain (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11556); Water (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 11556); Water (Sinhala); Waar: Water (Sinhala); Wærælla: Light rain (Sinhala)
Vana	Forest (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Sinhala, CDIAL 11258); Vanam: Forest (Tamil, usage found since post-Changkam times, Ma’nimeakalai, 3:80-81)
Kaadu	Forest, jungle, desert (Tamil, DED 1438); Cognates in 15 Dravidian languages (DED 1438)
Ku’lam	Tank, reservoir, lake (Tamil, DED 1828); Cognates found in 8 Dravidian languages (DED 1828)

The toponyms Ku’lak-kaadu and Vaari-vanam are synonyms and exact translation of each other.

Ku’lam is a known Tamil/ Dravidian word, meaning a tank, reservoir or lake (DED 1828).

The word Vaari, meaning a waterway or sluice, is also taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 5356). The Dravidian Etymological Dictionary traces the root of the word to the Tamil verb Vaar, meaning to flow, overflow and pour.

In Tamil literary usages, Vaari means water in general, sea, rain, flood and water flowing out.

Cognates of Vaari in related shades of meaning are found in 14 Dravidian languages. However, Sanskrit and Pali also have the word Vaari in their diction (CDIAL 11556), meaning water in general and rain (Sanskrit).

In Sinhala, Vaari and Vaar mean water in general.

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Vaari meaning water in general:

“Earin uzhaa-ar uzhavar puyalennum vaari va'lam kun'rik kaal” (Thirukku'ra'l 2:4)

“ஏரின் உழாஅர் உழவர் புயலென்னும் வாரி வளம் குன்றிக் கால்” (திருக்குறள் 2:4)

Farmers won’t till with their ploughs if the water resource called rain depletes


Vaari meaning sea:

“Makara vaari va'lanthanthu oangkiya nakara veethi” (Chilappathikaaram 6:128)

“மகர வாரி வளந்தந்து ஓங்கிய நகர வீதி” (சிலப்பதிகாரம் 6:128)

The street of the city (Kaavirippoom Paddinam) high in prosperity bestowed by the sea (maritime trade)


Vaari meaning flood:

“Varai vaari neer varu ponni” (Champanthar Theavaaram 2:10:1)

“வரை வாரி நீர் வரு பொன்னி” (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம் 2:10:1)

The Ponni (Kaaviri) River that comes with the floodwaters of the hills


Vaari meaning river:

“Vaari, maakam vaiku thingka'l, vaa'l aravam choodi” (Champanthar Theavaaram 1:53:3)

“வாரி, மாகம் வைகு திங்கள், வாள் அரவம் சூடி” (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம் 1:53:3)

(God Siva) attired (on his head) with river (Ganga), moon of the sky and coiling snake or killing snake


Vaari meaning rain:

“Vaari marungku a'ra vattinum” (Perungkathai 90:133)

“வாரி மருங்கு அற வற்றினும்” (பெருங்கதை 90:133)

Even if the rain completely fails


Vaari in the earliest Tamil lexicon (c. 8th century CE):

“Kadalum neer mikuthiyum kathavum vaayum madaiyum en'ru ivai vaari enpa” (Thivaakara Nika'ndu, 11: 368)

“கடலும் நீர் மிகுதியும் கதவும் வாயும் மடையும் என்று இவை வாரி என்ப” (திவாகர நிகண்டு, 11: 368)

Sea, abundance of water, gate, mouth (of water way) and sluice –all these are called Vaari

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Kaadu and Vanam are synonyms meaning a forest, jungle or grove.

The Tamil word Kaadu is of Dravidian etymology (DED 1438) and cognates for the word are found in 15 Dravidian languages.

The word Vana, found in the diction of Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and Sinhala, is of Indo-Aryan etymology. The Tamilised form Vanam has been found used since the times of Chilappathikaaram and Ma’nimeakalai.

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Ku’lak-kaadu is a toponymic term of reference in the folk usage of Jaffna. It refers to the Thenmaraadchi region of the Jaffna Peninsula, the central place of which is the town of Chaavakachcheari. Often, Ku’lak-kaadu is a specific reference to Chaavakach-cheari. (See column on Chaavakach-cheari for its etymology). In the contemporary folk references of Jaffna, the toponymic term Ku’lak-kaadu is used in a sense of ridicule to mean the backwardness of the region.

Vaari-vanam, an exact translation of Ku’lak-kaadu, is found in the name of the Siva temple of antiquity located at the town of Chaavakach-cheari. The deity is called Vaari-vana-eesvarar. The old temple was destroyed in colonial times and it was rebuilt later. Today there are two temples bearing that name, one is called the old Vaari Vaneasvarar and the other is new Vaari Vaneasvarar. Recently, some sculptures of Brahmanical deities, dateable to c. 12 –13th century CE, have been found in the pond of the old Vaari Vaneasvarar temple.

The water-stagnant and sandy stretches of the Thenmaraadchi region has a number of ponds and groves or scrub jungles.

As seen commonly in the Brahmanical temple culture outlook of Tamils, the original place name Ku'lak-kaadu could have been translated to become Vaari-vanam, with an aim of Sanskritisation, since Sanskritisation was often viewed as bestowing 'new status' to place names. However, in this case, Vaari in the Sanskrit diction itself happens to be a word of Tamil/ Dravidian etymology.

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Some related place names:


Vaari (Tamil):

Vaari-va’lavu: The premises with a pond; Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district

Vaarith-thoaddam: The garden with a pond; Kokkuvil, Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p105)

Vaariyaa-oadai: The pond, or the pond of the flood outlet, or the flood outlet of the pond; Thikkam, Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p.286)


Wariya/ Wari (Sinhala):

Wariya-gala: The rocky landscape or the rocky hill of waters; Doluwa division, Kandy district

Wariya-pola: The open space of a water source or the market place of a water source; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district; Ukuwela division, Matale district

Wari-gama: The village of waters; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district

First published: Saturday, 27 July 2013, 00:11