Know the Etymology: 283
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 06 September 2013

Galge-ma'ndiya

க₃ல்கெ₃ மண்டி₃ய
Galge Maṇḍiya

Gal+gea+ma'ndiya

The locality or side of the cave/ rock shelter/ stone house

Ma'ndiya

place, spot, locality (Sinhala); Ma'ndi: a. place in general, “Prades'aya; b. side, quarter, direction, slice-cut, “Pætta” ; c. sediment ((Sinhala, Sorata, the third meaning is related to Tamil/ Dravidian Ma'ndi, DED 4676); 1. Ma'n: the earth, soil, land, ground, (Tamil, DED 4666a); earth, soil, wall (Malayalam, DED 4666a); earth, soil, ground (Kannada, DED 4666a); Mo'n: earth, mud, land property (Toda, DED 4666a); Ma'ndul: earth, ground, soil (Gondi, DED 4666a); 2. Ma'ndala: disc, ball, circle, district, circular, (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9742); CDIAL cites Dravidian origin; Mudalai: ball, globe (Tamil, DED 4919); from the root Muda: curve, bend (Tamil, DED 4919, Ku'runthokai, 209: 5); Muddai: egg, world as globe, universe as globe (Tamil, DED 4939, Ku'runthokai, 38: 1; Pu'ranaanoo'ru, 173: 6-7; Suntharar, 14: 33); Madangku: to become bent (Tamil, DED 4645); Ma'ndilam: circle, continent surrounded by sea (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 300: 7); disc of the Sun (Tamil, Natti'nai, 67: 1); disc of the Moon (Tamil, Natti'nai, 375: 7); the Earth (Tamil, Akanaanoo'ru, 104: 5); Ma'ndai: head, skull, earthen vessel (Tamil, DED 4682); cognates in 10 Dravidian languages.

Gal-ge

rock shelter, cave, literally rock-house or stone-house (Sinhala); rock cave, “Galguhaawa” (Sinhala, Sorata); Gal: stone, rock, hill in place names (Sinhala); Kal: stone, rock, hill in place names (Tamil, Changkam Diction, DED 1298); Ge, Geha: house, dwelling (Sinhala); Geha: house (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 4251); Grha: house (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4240)

Ma'ndiya is a seldom-found component in Sinhala place names. It means a place, spot or locality. According to Sorata's dictionary it also means side, quarter or direction, other than meaning place in general.

The word may correspond to Ma'n in Tamil/ Dravidian, meaning earth, land, ground etc. Note the cognate Ma'ndul found in Gondi, meaning earth or ground (DED 4666a). Another possibility is the relationship of Ma'ndiya with Ma'ndala in Sanskrit and Ma'ndilam in Tamil, meaning a circle, district etc. The etymology of Ma'ndala in Sanskrit is traced to Dravidian (CDIAL 9742).

See earlier columns for etymological discussions on Gal and Ge.

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Galge-ma'ndiya is in Bandaragama division of Kalutara district

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Some related place names:

Maawara-ma'ndiya: The locality of the enclosure having horizontal bars; or the locality of Kiri-maawara plants; Biyagama division, Gampaha district

Goda-uda-ma'ndiya: The upper bank or upper hill locality; Imaduwa division, Galle district

Gal-dæm-mandiya: The locality of the stone pillar; Buttala division, Moneragala district. Dæmba: = Ka'nuwa (Sinhala, Sorata); Tæm: = Tamba: = Ka'nuwa (Sinhala, Sorata)


Revised: Saturday, 02 January 2016, 18:07

First published: Friday, 06 September 2013, 19:26