Know the Etymology: 295
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 03 October 2013

Miriswæl-paatha

மிரிஸ்வெ[æ]ல் பா[த்]த
Miriswael Pāta

Miris+wæl+paatha

The descending land or lower land of pepper creepers

Paatha	Also Paath: Falling, descending, alighting; (adjective) Down, low, below, beneath under (Sinhala); Paathayo; A person of the low country (Sinhala); Pathana: Falling (Sinhala); Pathasa, Pathaha: Large ditch, deep hole, pit (Sinhala); Pata: Fall (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 8052); Paataala. Hole in the earth, the nether region (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8054); Cliff, abyss (Pali, CDIAL8054); Paathaalaya: Regions below, the nether region, abyss, valley, dale, low place (Sinhala); Pathi: (verb) Be low-lying (as land), be low, sink in (Tamil, DED 3911); Pathivu: (noun) Depression (Tamil, DED 3911). In Tamil usage Pathivu is opposite to Uyaram meaning height.
Miris	Pepper, pepper in general of which there are 18 varieties in the island, chillies (Sinhala); Gam-miris; Black pepper, a term differentiating native pepper from chillies introduced from the outside (Sinhala); Gam-miris-wæl: Black pepper plant, Piper nigrum (Sinhala); Mareeca: Peppercorn (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9875); Marica: Black pepper (Pali, CDIAL 9875); Maria, Miria: Black pepper (Prakrit, CDIAL 9875); Miriyal: Black pepper (Tamil, Pingkala Nika’ndu 6: 623); Mi’laku: Black pepper (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 4867); Mu’laku: Black pepper (Malayalam, DED 4867); Mezhasu, Mozhasu, Me’nasu: Black pepper (Kannada, DED 4867); Mu’nuci, Mu’nci: Pepper, chilli (Tulu, DED 4867)
Wæl	Creeper (Sinhala); Wæla: Creeper, creeping plant in general (Sinhala); Veyo, Veu, Velek: Creeper (Maldivian); Valli: Creeper, creeping or climbing plant (Sinhala, Tamil); Vallee: Creeper (Sankrit, Pali, Prakrit CDIAL 11429); CDIAL notes possible Dravidian origins for Vallee, related to; Va’l’li: Climber, creeper (Tamil DED 5316); creeper, vine, the pepper vine (Malayalam, DED 5316); Ba’l’li: Creeper, vine (Kannada, DED 5316); Creeper (Kodagu, DED 5316); A creeper, especially a betel vine (Tulu, DED 5316); Valli, Vallika: Creeper, climbing plant (Telugu, DED 5316); Va’l’lai: Another old form in Tamil, meaning a creeper, a water creeper etc. (Tamil, Akanaanoo’ru, 6: 17, Aingku’runoo’ru 26)

Paatha as a Sinhala place name component means a descending landscape or a comparatively lower ground.

The component corresponds to the Indo-Aryan cognates Pata meaning falling and Paathaalaya meaning a deep place (CDIAL 8052, 8054), as well as to the Tamil/ Dravidian cognate Pathivu meaning comparatively low in height and its verb form Pathi meaning to keep low-lying (DED 3911).

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Miris means pepper as well as chillies in Sinhala.

Chilli is not a native crop of South Asia. It was brought by the Portuguese from South America and was introduced first in the pepper-growing region of southern South Asia. It was introduced as a substitute to pepper, which then had much export demand.

Hence, in many South Asian languages, the words for pepper and chilli are the same or are differentiated by adjectives. Gam-miris meaning native Miris and Miris-wæl meaning Miris-creeper are such phrases. In Tamil, Mi'laku and Mi'lakaay (Mi'laku+kaay, the pod or fruit form of pepper) differentiate pepper and chilli. Me'nasu and Me'nasu-kaayi are similar words in Kannada.

The word Miris in Sinhala is a cognate of Mareeca in Sanskrit, Marica in Pali, Mirici in many North Indian languages and Miriyal in old Tamil (CDIAL 9875, Pingkala Nika'ndu 6:623). One could see that the words are also related to Mi'laku in Tamil by R/ 'L change. Also note the 'L/ 'N change between Tamil and Kannada/ Telugu.

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Wæl and Wæla mean a creeper, vine, ivy or a creeping plant in Sinhala.

Valli is the literary form found not only in Sinhala but also in Tamil, Telugu and many other South Asian languages. Vallee is the cognate in Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit. Many traditional female names in South Asia are associated with such literary forms.

A Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages (CDIAL 11429) traces the etymology of Vallee possibly to Dravidian: Va'l'li in Tamil/ Malayalam and Ba'l'li in Kannada, meaning a creeper (DED 5316).

In Tamil, Va'l'li, basically meaning a creeper, is also the name of the consort of God Murukan. The term is also used to mean verities of yams that grow as creepers. In Malayalam, pepper vine is a specific additional meaning for the word Va'l'li.

In Tamil usage, while the word Va'l'li is found used since the times of the Changkam corpus, Valli comes in with the times of Chilapathikaaram and Ma'nimeakalai.

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Va'l'li meaning creeper:

“Peru mara va'l'liyil pi'nikkum” (Natti'nai 269: 7)

“பெரு மர வள்ளியில் பிணிக்கும்” (நற்றிணை 269: 7)

Will be binding like a creeper on a big tree


Va'l'li meaning a creeper by that name:

“Paasilai vaadaa va'l'li am kaadu I'ranthoarea” (Ku'runthokai 216: 1-2)

“பாசிலை வாடா வள்ளி அம் காடு இறந்தோரே” (குறுந்தொகை 216: 1-2)

Those who have gone through the forest of evergreen Va'l'li creepers


Va'l'li meaning a yam-producing creeper:

“Va'l'lik keezh vizhaa varai misaith thean thodaa” (Kaliththokai 39:12)

“வள்ளிக் கீழ் விழா வரை மிசைத் தேன் தொடா” (கலித்தொகை 39:12)

The yam won't form in Va'l'li creeper; honey (comp) won't form on the top of the hills (if the hill people do any wrong)


Va'l'li meaning the stem of water lilies etc:

“Aampal va'l'lith thodik kai maka'lir” (Pu'ra:naanoo'ru 63:12)

“ஆம்பல் வள்ளித் தொடிக் கை மகளிர்” (புறநானூறு 63:12)

The women the bangles on the hands of whom are like the stem of water lily


Va'l'li meaning the consort of Murukan:

Muruku pu'narnthu iyan'ra Va'l'li poala” (Natti'nai 82:4)

முருகு புணர்ந்து இயன்ற வள்ளி போல” (நற்றிணை 82:4)

Like Val'li who mated and went with Murukan


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Miriswæl-paatha is a place in Embilipitiya division of Ratnapura district

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Some related place names:

Paatha:

Mada-paatha: The muddy low land; or the descending land with paddy fields; Kesbewa division, Colombo district

Mada-paatha-gama: The village of the descending land of paddy fields or the muddy low land; Harispattuwa division, Kandy district

Mada-paathaala: The muddy dale or deep area; Galle Four Gravets division, Galle district

Dalu-paatha: The betel growing descending land or low land; Negombo division, Gampaha district

Iluk-paatha: The low land or descending land of I'luk reed; Mirigama division, Gampaha district; Palindanuwara division, Kalutara district

Opaatha: Probably, the descending land on the further side or low land on the further side; Minuwangoda division, Gampaha district; Elpitiya division, Galle district; Bope Poddala division, Galle district; Warakapola division, Kegalle district; Obba: Further side (Sinhala)

Telanga-paatha: The low-lying land or the descending land of the Telugu people; Wattala division, Gampaha district

Gal-paatha: The rocky descend or the low land; Millaniya division, Kalutara district; Yatiyanthota division, Kegalle district

Harankaha-paatha: The descending land or low land of Harankaha (a kind of turmeric) plants; Agalawatta division, Kalutara district. Haran-kaha: literally, jungle turmeric, Curcuma zerumbet (Sinhala)

Yatta-paatha: The low land at the bottom; Walallawita division, Kalutara district

Mee-wala-pathaha: The ditch land of the Mee tree forest; Galewela division, Matale district

Digam-pathaha: The ditch area of the big village; Dambulla division, Matale district

Kella-paatha: The forested descending land or low land; Elpitiya division, Galle district

Weli-paatha: The sandy descending land or low land; Galle Four Gravets division, Galle district

Werella-paatha: The descending land or low land of Werella trees; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Wal-gam-paatha: The descend or low land of the forest village; Ruwanwella division, Kegalle district

Ela-paatha: The descending land or low land of the rivulet of cardamom crop; Elapatha division, Ratnapura district

Paatha-gama: The village in the lower ground; Mirigama division, Gampaha district

Paatha-kada: The descending side; Millaniya division, Kalutara district; Nivitigala division, Ratnapura district

Denawaka-paatha-kada: The descending side or lower side of Denawaka; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district

Paatha-dumbara: The lower part of Dumbara (compared to Uda-dumbara the upper part and Meda-dumbara the middle part); Pathadumbara division, Kandy district

Paatha-hewaheta: The lower part of Hewaheta; Pathahewaheta division, Kandy district

Paatha-mailapitiya: The lower part of Mailapitiya; Pathahewaheta division, Kandy district

Paatha-vita: The lower hill; Pasgoda division, Matara district

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Miris:

Miris-watta: The chilli crop garden; or the pepper garden; Hanwella division, Colombo district; Divulapitiya division, Gampaga district; Bandaragama division, Kalutara district; Walalawita division, Kalutara district; Betota division, Galle district; Welivitiya-Divithura division, Galle district; Beliatta division, Hambantota district; Padiyathalawa division, Ampaa'rai district;

Miriswatta-gama: The village of chilli crop garden; or the pepper garden; Padiyathalawa division, Ampaa'rai district

Miris-sala: The chilli or pepper growing yard; or the pepper or chilli-growing hill; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district. Sala: hall or house; rock, a rocky mountain (Sinhala)

Mirissan-kotuwa: The chilli crop enclosure; Wennapuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Mirissa: The place of chilli crops or pepper vines; Weligama division, Matara district

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Wæl:

Weni-wæl-kola: Homagama division, Colombo district. Weni-wæl: a creeper, Coscinium fenestratum

Weni-wæl-Ara: The river in the locality of Weniwæl creepers; Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district

Weniwælla-kaduwa: The side or pass of Weniwælla plants; Warakapola division, Kegalle district. Weniwælla: also called Kumatiya, a plant of red flowers, cock's comb, Allmania nodiflora

We-wæl-panaawa: The greenery of rattan creepers; Padukka division, Colombo district. Panaawa, similar to Kola, is used to mean greenery, vegetation, presence of the foliage of a particular plant etc. Pana: Leaf, bulrush (Sinhala); Par'na: Plumage, foliage of tree (Sanskrit, CDIAL 7918). Note other place names such as Thea-panaawa (greenery of tea), Mee-panaawa (greenery of Mee trees), Naran-panaawa (greenery of orange trees) etc.

We-wæl-deniya: The rising bank of rattan creepers; The rising bank of rattan creepers; Mirigama division, Gampaha district; Beddegama division, Galle district

We-wæl-doowa: The water-surrounded area of rattan creepers; Kelaniya division, Gampaha district

We-wæl-pola: The open land of rattan creepers; Weerambugedera division, Kurunegala district

We-wæl-ketiya: The part of rattan creepers; Rambewa division, Anuradhapura district

We-wæl-kandura: The hill stream of (flowing through the growth of) rattan creepers; Kalawana division, Ratnapura district

Kirindi-wæla: (The place of) Kirindi creepers; Dompe division, Gampaha district; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district. Kirindi-wæl: A creeper, Rouria santaloides (Sinhala)

Kirindi-wæl-pola: The open place of Kirindi creepers; Thumpane division, Kandy district

Ath-wæl-thota: The crossing point of the river where there is a plank bridge and rope to hold on; Palindanuwara division, Kalutara district

Wæl-gala: The rocky hill of creepers; Poojapitiya division, Kandy district; Minipe division, Kandy district

Wæl-golla: The grove or forest of creepers; Passara division, Badulla district

Bulath-wæl-kandura: The hill stream found with betel vine crop; Minipe division, Kandy district

Baan-wæl-golla: Harispattuwa division, Kandy district. Baan: Thick rope used only for cattle

Baan-wæl-godella: The hillock of rope-making creepers; Ambalangoda division, Galle district

Anguna-wæl-pælessa: The hamlet of Angu'nu creepewrs; Dambulla division, Matale district. Angu'na: A plant, Hoya of the species of Anclepiadeoe Yombu-wæl-thenna: The highland plane of Yohombu creepers; Walapone division, Nuwara Eliya district. Yohombu: A kind of jasmine called Pichchamal in Sinhala and Pichchi-malli or Pichchi-mallikai in Tamil, Jasminum sambac.

Kalu-wæl-deniya: The rising bank of Ka'lu-wæl creepers; Ambagamuwa division, Nuwara Eliya district: Ka'lu-wæl: the dark creeper, probably the same as Karung-kodi creeper in Tamil

Kiri-wæl-kele: The forst of Kiri-wæl crepers; Pitabeddara division, Matara district. Kiri-wæl: the milky creeper

Kiri-wæl-dola: The hill stream found with Kiri-wæl creepers; Katapola division, Matara district

Nivithi-wæl-bokka: The creek or depression found with Nivithi-wæl creeping plant; Welipitiya division, Matara district. Niviti: Malabar nightshade, Basella alba (Sinhala)

See-wæl-gama: The village of Seewæl creepers; Kamburupitiya division, Matara district. Seevala, Seewæla: Aquatic plant, Vallisneria

Nara-wæl-pita: The high-ground plain of Nara-wæl plants; Hakmana division, Matara district. Nara-wæla: a plant, Clematis similacifolia or Naravelia zeylanica; (Sinhala)

Kahata-wæla: The (place of) bitter creepers; Ibbagamuwa division, Kurunegala district. Kahata: bitter, acrid, astringent (Sinhala); probably the creeper may be the same as Kachcht-kodi in Tamil

Wæl-palla: The shallow area of creepers; Pannala division, Kurunegala district

Thitta-wæl-poththa: The range of Thitta-wæl creeping plant; Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district. Thitta-wæl: a plant, Anamirta paniculata; Titta: bitter, pungent, peppery (Sinhala)

First published: Thursday, 03 October 2013, 18:44