Know the Etymology: 276
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 19 August 2013

Katu-pælælla, Kanu-pælælla

க[ட்]டு பெ₂லெ₂ல்ல
கனு பெ₂லெ₂ல்ல
Kaṭu-pælælla
Kanu-pælælla

Katu+pælælla
Kanu+pælælla

The entrance shutter made of thorns
The gate panel made of poles or logs

Pælælla	(singular), Pælali (plural): Blinds of open wicker work, door, or tat serving that purpose (Sinhala); Padal, Padalai: Small shutter of braided palm leaves or thorns, hurdle of wattled frame for sheltering cattle, sunshade (Tamil, DED 3845, Pu’ra:naanoo’ru, 325: 7-8); A swing gate or removable gate, shutter etc., made of palm leaves, twigs, thorns etc., usually placed at the entrance to a premises (Eezham Tamil); Padalai: A panel of leaves (Tamil, Changkam Diction, Aka:naanoo’ru, 87:3); Patal, Patala: A rough harrow (Malayalam, DED 3845); Padi: A door, leaf or panel of a door (Kannada, DED 3845); A door (Kodagu, DED 3845); A thrashing frame, a door or shutter made of slips or bamboos tied together (Tulu, DED 3845); Katu-pælælla: (singular), Katupælali (plural): Gate or screen made of thorns (Sinhala); Note the D > L change and the A > Æ change, between Padal/ Padalai and Pælælla/ Pælali
Katu	(adjective) Thorny, pungent, envious, fierce, impetuous, hot, displeasing, disagreeable (Sinhala); Katuwa: (singular), Katu (plural): Thorn, anything with a sharp point, bone (Sinhala); Kadu: (noun) Thorn, hornet (Tamil, Thivaakaram Lexicon 4:94, DED 1135); Kadu: (belongs to a special category of words called Urichchol) Intense, sharp, speed, pungent, fierce, hot, indignant etc (Tamil, DED 1135); Kadderumpu: The black ant that has the sting (Tamil); Ka’nta: Thorn (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 2668); Ka’ntaka: Thorn, anything pointed (Sanskrit, CDIAL 2668); Kaa’nta: Having thorns (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3022)
Kanu	(plural), Kanuwa (singular): Post, pillar of wood or stone (Sinhala); Kanu-pala: Enclosure for cattle, marked spot (Sinhala); Ka’nai: Thick in diameter, stocky, corpulent as of a stem, body of a straight plant, pole, etc. (Tamil, Changkam Diction); Arrow, wooden handle, curved pole of a palanquin, shin (Tamil, DED 1166); Ka’naik-kaal: Stocky and straight stem of a plant, leg between foot and knee (Tamil, Changkam Diction, Ku’runthokai, 9: 4, Natti’nai. 27: 9, DED 1166); Ka’naiyam: Club, post (Tamil, DED 1166); A strong cross-bar for the gate of a fort, also called Ka’naiya-maram (Tamil); Protection forest around a fort (Tamil, Pingkalam, 9: 200); Spear, club (Malayalam, DED 1166); Ka’na: stick, shaft, hilt, handle, arrow, bamboo, a small bamboo branch (Malayalam, DED 1166); Ka’ne: Stick, arrow (Kannada, DED 1166); slender bamboo branch (Tulu, DED 1166); Ga’ne: Pole, staff, arrow (Tulu, DED 1166); Also may be related to Ka’nu: Joint in bamboo etc. (Tamil, DED 1160); From the root Ka’n (Tamil, DED 1160), a related word in Sinhala is Kanu-masa for the flesh round the nails (Nakak-ka’n in Tamil)

Pælælla in Sinhala means a kind of gate, door or shutter made of leaves, twigs, sticks or thorn. Katu-pælælla specifically means such a panel made of thorns, as Katu means thorns. Pælali and Katu-pælali are the plural forms.

The Sinhala words are cognates of Padal and Padalai in Tamil, meaning the same. D changing into L and A becoming Æ are common features between the two languages.

Padal and Padalai, words used since the times of the Changkam literature, are etymologically traced to Dravidian (DED 3845). Cognates are also found in many other Dravidian languages (DED 3845). It seams that originally Padalai had meant a panel of leaves or stems of palm fronds, as seen from the usage examples in Changkam literature (Madal > padal).

Padalai is a common word in Eezham Tamil, especially in Jaffna dialect, meaning a swing gate at the entrance to a premises that in the past was usually made of palm leaves, stems of palm-leaf fronds, sticks, twigs etc., fixed within a frame.

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Padalai as a panel of leaves:

“Padalaip pantharp pul veay kurampai” (Aka'naanoo'ru, 87:3)

“படலைப் பந்தர்ப் புல் வேய் குரம்பை” (அகநானூறு, 87:3)

The grass thatched hut having a leaf-panel front shed (such sheds standing on poles were also shutters, as seen in early literature and in folk practices)


Padalai as a humble door shutter made of sticks or twigs:

“Odung-kaazhp padalaich chee'ril mun'ril” (Pu'ra:naanoo'ru 325: 7-8)

“ஒடுங்-காழ்ப் படலைச் சீறில் முன்றில்” (புறநானூறு 325: 7-8)

The front yard of the small hut having a door shutter made of the sticks or twigs of the Odu tree (Cleistanthus collinus). The verse comes in the context of describing the huts of the humble hunters of the arid tract.


Padal as a door panel made of leaves or thorn:

“Padal a'ni vaayil madal a'ni veayu'l” (Perungkathai, 43:197)

“படல் அணி வாயில் மடல் அணி வேயுள்” (பெருங்கதை, 43:197)

The palmyra palm leaf thatched shed fixed with an entrance shutter made of leaves or thorn

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Katuwa (singular) in Sinhala mean a thorn, bone or anything with a sharp point. Katu is the plural and combination form of the word. Katu as an adjective means mean thorny, fierce, pungent, hot etc.

The Sanskrit/ Pali diction has a word Ka’nta and Ka’ntaka, meaning a thorn (CDIAL 2668)

But a direct cognate of Katu in all its shades of meaning is perhaps the Tamil word Kadu.

Belonging to a special category of words called Urichchol (words of inherited meanings), Kadu means sharp, speed, pungent, fierce, hot, indignant etc.

Kadu, in the Urichchol senses of meanings, is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 1135)

* * *

Kadi/ Kadu as an Urichchol meaning sharpness among the 12 meanings given for that word:

“Kadiyen ki'lavi varaivea koormai kaappea puthumai viraivea vi'lakkam mikuthi chi'rappea achcham mu:ntheattaay eerainthum meyppadath thoan'rum poruddaakummea” (Tholkaappiyam, Chol, 383; Uriyiyal, 87)

“கடியென் கிளவி வரைவே கூர்மை காப்பே புதுமை விரைவே விளக்கம் மிகுதி சிறப்பே அச்சம் முன்தேற்றாய் ஈரைந்தும் மெய்ப்படத் தோன்றும் பொருட்டாகும்மே” (தொல்காப்பியம், சொல், 383; உரியியல், 87)


“Aiyamung karippum aakalum uriththea” (Tholkaappiyam, Chol 384; Uriyiyal 88)

“ஐயமுங் கரிப்பும் ஆகலும் உரித்தே” (தொல்காப்பியம், சொல், 384; உரியியல் 88)

The word Kadi/ kadu expresses ten meanings: earnestness, sharpness, protection, freshness, speed, intensity, abundance, greatness, fear and a sworn commitment.

Doubt and pungent are also the meanings (altogether 12)


Kadu meaning thorn:

“Ka'ndakam kaduvea mu’l enak karuthuvar” (Thivaakaram Lexicon 4:94)

“கண்டகம் கடுவே முள் எனக் கருதுவர்” (திவாகரம் நிகண்டு 4:94)

Ka’ndakam and Kadu are words for thorn


Kadu meaning sharpness:

“Needu mayirk kadum pal ookak ka'rai viral eattai” (Ku’runthokai 373: 4-5)

“நீடு மயிர்க் கடும் பல் ஊகக் கறை விரல் ஏற்றை” (குறுந்தொகை 373: 4-5)

The black monkey of long hair, sharp teeth and dark fingers

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Kanuwa in Sinhala means a pillar or post made of wood or stone. It also in some instances means a milestone. Kanu is the plural or combination form of the word.

The cognate in Tamil is the word Ka’nai that basically means a straight and sturdy column, either thin or thick.

Ka’nai, listed as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 1166), also means a shaft, arrow, crossbar of a fort gate, fore arm and leg between foot and knee. See the box for details.

Ka’nai meaning a straight, corpulent stem:

“Paasadai nivantha ka’naik kaal neythal” (Ku’runthokai, 9: 4)

“பாசடை நிவந்த கணைக் கால் நெய்தல்” (குறுந்தொகை, 9: 4)

The straight and corpulent-legged (stemmed) water lily that stands above the green leaves

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Katu-pælælla and Kanu-pælælla are places in the Badulla division of Badulla district

* * *

Some related place names:

Katu:

Katu-wana: The thorny forest: Homagama div, Colombo district; Katuwana div., div., Hambantota district

Katu-kurunthu-watta: The grove of the thorny Kurunthu (Katu-kurunthu) shrub/ trees; Rathmalana div. Colombo district

Katu-kuruntha: (The place of) the thorny Kurunthu (Katu-kurunthu) shrub/ trees; Moratuwa div., Colombo district; Kalutara div., Kalutara district; Habaraduwa div., Galle district. Katu-kurundu: a prickly plant used for fences, Scolopia crenata (Sinhala)

Katu-bedda: The thorny thicket/ jungle; Moratuwa div. Colombo district

Katuwa-wala: The thorny forest; Kesbewa div., Colombo district

Katu-kenda: (The place of) a timber tree; Divulapitiya div., Gampaha district; Dankotuwa div., Puththa’lam district

Katu-wella-gama: The village in the thorny and sandy place; Divulapitiya div., Gampaha district

Katu-wala.mulla: The corner of the thorny jungle; Gampaha div., Gampaha district

Katu-was-goda: The thorny bank/ hill of bamboos or the thorny residential bank/ hill; Attanagala div., Gampaha district

Katu-hena: The thorny slash and burn field for cultivation; Madurawala div., Kalutara district

Katu-kurunthu-gaha-landa: The jungle high ground of Katu-kurunthu shrub/ trees; Beruwala div., Kalutara district

Katu-dora: The thorny entrance; Walallawita div., Kalutara district

Katu-kele-Welmee-goda: The thorny jungle in the bank/ hill having the Liquorice plant; (Wæl-mee: Glycirrhiza glabrum); Walallawita div., Kalutara district. Katu-kele and Welmee-goda are probably twin villages

Katu-goda: The thorny bank/ hill; Medadumbara div., Kandy district; Galle Four Gravets div., Galle district

Katu-kele: The thorny jungle; KFG&G Korale div., Kandy district

Katu-gas-thota: The ferry point of thorny trees: Harispattuwa div., Kandy district

Katu-atta-mada: The muddy place in the thorny quarter; Ukuwela div., Matale district

Katu-deniya: The thorny land; Ukuwela div., Matale distyrict

Katu-golla: The thorny forest/ grove: Kothmale div., Nuwara Eliya district

Katu-kithula: The place of Katu-kithul (a spiny Kithul) trees; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district. Katu-kithul: A palm, Oncosperma fasciculate (Sinhala)

Katu-vila: The pond of thorny plants: Balapitiya div., Galle district

Katu-dampe: The thorny grove of Damba trees; Hikaduwa div., Galle district

Katu-koliha: The (place of the) thorny jujube trees; Hikkaduwa div., Galle district. Koali: Jujube tree; Koala: Fruit of the jujube tree (Sinhala)

Katu-wan-goda: The bank/ hill of thorny jungle: Malimbada div., Matara district

Pita-katu-wana: The outside of thorny jungle; Kamburupitiya div., Matara district

Katu-potha: The thorny range; Katupotha div., Kurunegala district; Ibbagamuwa div., Kurunegala district; Pallama div., Puththa’lam district

Katu-wewa: The tank of thorny plants, or the dammed-tank; Galgamuwa div., Kurunegala district

Katu-gampala-gama: The subsequent village that has come up at the thorny open space of the original village; Ehetuwewa div., Kurunegala district

Katu-wannawa: The thorny jungle; Mahawa div., Kurunegala district

Vila-katu-potha: The thorny range of the pond; Wariyapola div., Kurunegala district

Katu-muluwa: The thorny corner; Katupotha div., Kurunegala district

Katu-pitiya: The thorny high ground or plain; Mallawapitiya div., Kurunegala district

Katu-gampala-gedara: The house premises at the thorny open space of the village; Mawathagama div., Kurunegala district

Katu-watte-wela: The paddy field of the thorny grove; Kuliyapitiya West div., Kurunehala district

Katu-wella: The thorny sandbank; Kuliyapitiya West div., Kurunegala district

Katu-gampala: The thorny open space of the village; Pannala div., Kurunegala district

Katu-neriya: The thorny bund, dam or tank; Nattandiya div., Puththa’lam district

Pila-katu-mulla: The thorny corner of Nerium shrubs; Nattandiya div., Puththa’lam district. Pila: Nerium (Sinhala)

Katu-wela: The thorny paddy field: Medawachchiya div., Anuradhapura district

Katu-keliyaawa: The thorny jungle; N.Palatha Central div., Anuradhapura district; Mihintale div., Anuradhapura district; Palagala div., Anuradhapura district; Hingurakgoda div., Polonnaruwa district; Elahera div., Polonnaruwa district

Katu-path-wewa: The tank of the thorny side; Nochchiyagama div., Anuradhapura dictrict

Ul-katu-potha: The thorny range having a spring; Hingurakgoda div., Polonnaruwa district

Katu-wan-vila: The pond of the thorny jungle; Welikanda div., Polonnaruwa district

Katu-pila-gama: The village of thorny Nerium shrubs; Sevanagala div., Moneragala district. Pila: Nerium (Sinhala). Its multiple stems have thorns.

Katu-gaha: The (place of a) thorny tree; Aranayaka div., Kegalle district; Hali-Ela div., Badulla district

Katu-gaha-gal-ge: The rock shelter at the locality of a thorny tree; Badalkumpura div., Moneragala district

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Pælælla:

Padiya-pælælla: The gate to the residence or place; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district

Uda-padiya-pælælla: The gate for the upper part of the place or residence; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kola-pæleli-kanda: The hill having an entrance gate made of jujube (a thorny tree); Mallawapitiya division, Kurunegala district

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Kanu:

Kanu-wana: The forest for cutting poles, posts etc.; Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district

50 Kanuwa-gama: The village of the 50th milepost; Padiyathalawa division, Ampaa’rai district

14 Kanuwa: The 14th milepost; Damana division, Ampaa’rai district

15 Kanuwa: The 15th milepost, Damana division, Ampaa’rai district

5 Kanuwa pedesa: The area of the 5th milepost; Damana division, Ampaa’rai district

9 Kanuwa – Wathumulla: The grove corner – 9th milepost; Lahugala division, Ampaa’rai district

4 ½ Kanuwa: The Four and a half milepost; Rajanganaya division, Anuradhapura district

Kanu-ketiya: The enclosure made of logs or posts; Rasnayakapura division, Kurunegala district

Nelun-kanuwa: The enclosure made of Ne’lu tree logs; Katupotha division, Kurunegala district

Kanu-golla: The grove or forest to get pols or posts; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Rambukana division, Kegalle district

Kanu-male: The hill looking like a pillar, or the hill having pillars, or the hill to make stone pillars; Weerambugedara village, Kurunegala district

Kanu-bichchiya: The wall or fence made by posts; Udubaddawa division, Kurunegala district. Bichchiya, Bittiya: Wall (Sinhala)

Kanu-gaha-wewa: The tank in the locality of post producing trees; Kebitigollewa division, Anuradhapura district

Deli-kanu-anga: The part (area) of the dark pillar; Narammala division, Kurunegala district. Dæli (adjective): Black, charcoal colour; Anga: Part (Sinhala)

Maha-kanu-mulla: The corner of the big pillar; Thrappane division, Anuradhapura district

Kanug-galla: The stone pillar; Kiriella division, Ratnapura district

Kanu-gala: The stone pillar, or the rocky hill like a column; Ruwanwella division, Kegalle district. The village has two sections, Uda and Palle, meaning the upper and lower

Kanu-mul-deniya: Probably, the valley or bed of Kana-mul, a medicinal root; Okewela division, Hambantota district

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Ka’nu:

Ka’nuk-kea’ni: Probably the constructed pond having a pillar, or the constructed pond that has sections; Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

First published: Monday, 19 August 2013, 00:57