Know the Etymology: 297
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 07 October 2013

Dalu-wathu-mulla
Dalu-potha-gama

த₃லுவத்துமுல்ல
த₃லுபொ[த்]தக₃ம
Daluvatumulla
Dalupotagama

Dalu+wathu+mulla
Dalu+potha+gama

The betel-garden corner.
The village of the sprouting range (recent paddy fields).

Dalu	Also Dali: Bud or young shoots of leaves (Sinhala); Dalu-lanawaa: (verb) to bud, to germinate (Sinhala); Dala: Leaf, leaves of flowers (Sinhala); Daluwa: Young shoot of the leaf, bud, long-pepper plant (Sinhala); Dalu-mura: Betel leaf (Sinhala; Mu'ri means sprout, shoot, tender leaf, leaf in Tamil/ Dravidian, DED 5010); Dalu-bulat: Species of betel leaf (Sinhala, Bulat is traced to Taamboola and in turn to Austro-Asiatic, CDIAL 5776); Dalu-watta: Garden planted with the betel creeper (Sinhala); Dalu-kotuwa: Betel plantation (Sinhala); Dalumura-kaarayaa: The person who serves the king with betel (Sinhala); Dalumura-oppukara'nawaa: (verb) to offer betel to devil in folk ceremonies, to offer betel to the king by the person holding that office (Sinhala); Dalu-mure: Turn to supply betel for a temple proprietor (Sinhala; turn is Mu'rai in Tamil, DED 5015);
Tha'lir	(verb) To shoot forth, sprout, put forth leaves, flourish, prosper, rejoice; (noun) Sprout, tender shoot (Tamil, DED 3131); Bud, new leaf, shoot (Malayalam, DED 3131); (verb) To shoot, sprout, put forth leaves; (noun) Young shoot, new leaf or new leaves (Kannada, DED 3131); Ta'lal: To bud sprout, shoot (Kannada, DED 3131); Ta'li: (verb) To shoot, sprout, put forth leaves; (noun) Race, family, stock, breed (Kannada, DED 3131); Ta'liru: Sprout, bud (Tulu, DED 3131); Taliru: A sprout, shoot (Telugu, DED 3131); Daal: To blossom (Kuwi, DED 3131); Thu'lir: (verb) To bud, sprout, shoot, put forth leaves, prosper, thrive; (noun) Bud, sprout, young leaf, tender, foliage (Tamil, DED 3362); Cognates in Malayalam, Kannada, Kodagu, Tulu and Maltese (DED 3362); Thazhai: (verb) To sprout; (noun) Sprout, shoot, bough with leaves (Tamil, DED 3119), cognates in Malayalam, Kannada, Kui and Brahui (DED 3119)
Dalupotha	Dalu-potha: Literally means, the 'sprouting range'. In usage in means a paddy field recently brought under cultivation, i.e., the field in the formative stage or developing stage (Sinhala). See Kirigal-poththa for meaning and etymology of Potha

Dalu, Dali, Dala and Daluwa in Sinhala basically mean a sprout, young shoot or leaf.

Dalu in phrases such as Dalu-mura, Dalu-bulath and Dalu-watta/ Dalu-kotuwa, means betel leaf, a species of betel and betel garden or enclosure respectively.

There are also phrases in Sinhala such as Dalumura-kaaraya, Dalumura-oppukara'nawaa, Dalu-mure etc., related to betel leaves in the context of royal or temple services.

Betel leaf is usually preferred when it is in the young stage and hence its association with the term Dalu.

Another term Daluwa, which also means a young shoot, is associated with long pepper plant, a related species of betel.

Dalu and other Sinhala cognates correspond to Tha'lir in Tamil/ Dravidian, which is both a verb and a noun, meaning to sprout or to put forth leaves as well as a sprout, tender shoot, etc. (DED 3131). The other related cognates in Tamil/ Dravidian are Thu'lir and Thazhai (DED 3362, 3119).

The components Mura and Mure associated with Dalu in Sinhala, as in Dalu-mura and Dalu-mure, also correspond to Tamil/ Dravidian Mu'ri and Mu'rai (DED 5010, 5015). While Mu'ri means a sprout or young leaf, Mu'rai means an order or turn in services.

The term bulat is traced to Taamboola in Sanskrit (CDIAL 5776). Taamboola may be related to Taamra/ Tamba meaning red colour (CDIAL 5779)

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Tha'lir meaning a sprout, shooting leaf etc:

“Thu'li thalaith thalai-iya tha'lir annoa'lea” (Ku'runthokai 222:7)

“துளி தலைத் தலைஇய தளிர் அன்னோளே” (குறுந்தொகை 222:7)

She is like a leaf shoot that sprouted at the first rains


Mu'ri meaning young leaf:

“Mu'ri ka'ndanna mellen chee'radi” (Ku'runthokai 278:2)

“முறி கண்டன்ன மெல்லென் சீறடி” (குறுந்தொகை 278:2)


The little feet soft as young leaves

“Ilaiyea mu'riyea tha'lirea thoadea” (Tholkaappiyam, poru'l 633)

“இலையே முறியே தளிரே தோடே” (தொல்காப்பியம், பொருள் 633)


Ilai, Mu'ri, Tha'lir and Thoadu (all mean leaf)

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The phrase Dalu-potha in Sinhala means a paddy field recently brought under cultivation.

The phrase must be denoting a field in its formative or developing stage.

In fact, the phrase literally means, the 'sprouting range.' (Dalu: sprout; Potha: range)

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Daluk, which comes as a component in some Sinhala place names, is not connected to the words discussed above. It means a thorny, leafless tree (Euphorbia antiquorum) that belongs to the cactus family.

The component Daluwa, in the context of the place names of Puththa'lam district, is also not connected to the meaning, sprout, betel or long pepper.

Daluwa, found in the place names of the Puththa'lam district, is recent Sinhalicisation of the Tamil word Thaazhvu, meaning a low-lying land. The examples are given under the related place names.

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Dalu-wathu-mulla is a village in Hikkaduwa division of Galle district

Dalu-potha-gama is in Kuliyapitiya division of Kurunegala district

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Some related place names:


Dalu:

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

Dalu-pitiya: The high ground plain of betel vine crop; Mahara division, Gampaha district

Dalu-gama: The village of betel vines; Kelaniya division, Gampaha district

Dalugam-goda: The bank of the village of betel vines; Kelaniya division, Gampaha district

Dalu-wela: The paddy fields with betel vine crop; Yatawatta division, Matale district

Dalu-wathu-mulla: The corner of the betel garden; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district

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Daluwa:

Daluwak-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of long pepper vines; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Daluwa-kotuwa: The enclosure of long pepper vines; Negombo division, Gampaha district

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Dalupotha:

Nika-dalu-potha: The sprouting range (paddy fields recently brought under cultivation) of the Banyan tree; Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district

Maavee-dalu-potha: The sprouting range (paddy field recently brought under cultivation) of Maa-vee paddy; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Dalu-potha-gama: The village of the sprouting range (recent paddy fields); Kuliyapitiya division, Kurunegala district

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Daluk meaning a thorny tree (Euphorbia antiquorum):

The thorns of this tree are so large and piercing that the branches are used for making fences against elephants, wild buffaloes etc. It has a grotesque appearance with a prickly cactus like stem without leaves (Clough's Sinhala dictionary)

Daluk-golla: The Daluk forest; Nikaweratiya division, Kurunegala district

Dalu-kana: Daluk-kana: The Daluk forest; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Daluggala: Daluk-gala: The Daluk growing rocky hill; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Dalu-walana: Probably Daluk-walana: The Daluk forest; Ruwawella division, Kegalle district

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Daluwa in the place names of Puththa'lam district is recent Sinhalicisation of the Tamil component Thaazhvu, meaning a low-lying land:

Daluwa: Munthal (Mundalama) division, Puththa'lam district

Nallan-daluwa: Munthal (mundalama) division, Puththa'lam district

Daluwe-gama: Mahakumbukkadava division, Puththa'lam district

Kamman-daluwa: Pa'l'lama division, Puththa'lam district

Mukkan-daluwa: Arachikattuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Rajaka-daluwa: Arachikattuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Weerakuman-daluwa: Arachikattuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Ihala-oli-daluwa: Chilaapam (Chilaw) division; Puththa'lam district

Mungan-daluwa: Chilaapam (Chilaw) division; Puththa'lam district

Oli-daluwa: Chilaapam (Chilaw) division; Puththa'lam district

Urudayan-daluwa: Chilaapam (Chilaw) division; Puththa'lam district

First published: Monday, 07 October 2013, 04:00