Know the Etymology: 303
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Alaikallu-poadda-ku’lam,
Mathavu-vaiththa-ku’lam

அலைகல்லு போட்ட குளம்
மதவுவைத்த குளம்
Alaikallupōṭṭa Kuḷam
Matavuvaitta Kuḷam

Alaikallu+poadda+ku'lam
Mathavu+vaiththa+ku'lam

The tank, the banks and watercourses of which were laden with stone facing.

The tank having a covered conduit or set up with a covered conduit.

Alai-kal	Stone facing, to protect the banks and watercourses, so that they will not be eroded by water (Tamil, Madras Tamil Lexicon, Inscription, ca. 1264CE, TAS VII, p.31); Alai: (verb) To wave, shake, move, go to and fro for an object, roam, wander; (noun) Wave, billow, ripple (Tamil, DED 240); Cognates in 10 Dravidian languages; Kal, Kallu: Stone, rock (Tamil DED 1298)
Poadda	past tense verb of Poadu: To put, set in position, fasten, cast down, cast away, strike, beat, stamp (Tamil, DED 4581)
Mathavu	from Mathaku: Covered channel, drain, conduit, sluice to let off water from a tank, (Tamil, DED 4688); Madaga, Madagu: Sluice, floodgate (Kannada, DED 4668); Madugu, Madumu, Maduvu: Sluice, floodgate, water gate (Telugu, DED 4668)
Vaiththa	past tense verb of Vai: To put, place, seat, lay by, store up, posses, keep, create set up (Tamil, DED 5549); Cognates in 13 Dravidian languages
Ku'lam	Tank, reservoir, lake (Tamil, DED 1828)

Alai-kallu is a hydraulic technical term in Tamil, meaning the stone casing that is laid on the side of the banks and watercourses of a tank, to prevent erosion and collapse of the sides.

The usage of the technical term is attested by Madras Tamil Lexicon as well as by Tamil inscriptions.

An early reference to the term Alai-kal could be found in a Tamil inscription dated to 1264 CE, coming from the Chera kingdom of the ancient Tamil country, which is now Kerala.

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“Irupathu kallu chearamangkalath theavara'lum eezhak ku'laththinnu alaikal iduvathu” (1264 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series VII, p.31)

“இருபது கல்லு சேரமங்கலத் தேவரளும் ஈழக் குளத்தின்னு அலைகல் இடுவது” (1264 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series VII, p.31)

The Theavara'l (temple people?) of Chearamangalam village should lay 20 stones as casing for the banks or watercourses of the Eezha Tank (the tank named after the Eezhavar community?). Note the Malayalam linguistic feature in the word 'Ku'laththinnu.'

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The term Alai-kallu is a phrase of two components, Alai and Kallu. While Kallu means stone, Alai means waving action of water. Both the components are Tamil words of Dravidian etymology (DED 240, 1298)

Poadda is past tense verb form of Tamil/ Dravidian word, Poadu (DED 4581), meaning anything that was laid, put, or set in position.

Ku'lam, meaning a tank, reservoir or lake in Tamil is also a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 1828). See earlier columns on etymological discussions on the term.

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Mathavu or Mathaku is another hydraulic technical term in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 4688) meaning a covered channel, sluice, or water gate. An early literary reference for Mathaku is found in Chilappathikaaram (7:4:1). Early epigraphic usage examples come from inscriptions of 10th century CE (SII, xxiii, 195).

Vaiththa, the past tense verb of Vai in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5549) means anything that was kept, fixed or set up.

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Alaikallu-poadda-ku'lam is in Oddusuddaan division of Mullaiththeevu district. This is an old place name in Vanni found mentioned in colonial records.

Mathavu-vaiththa-ku'lam is one of the villages in the Naduch-cheddi-ku'lam division of colonial Vanni, mentioned in the British records of 19th century (Aruna Selladurai, p. 107).

First published: Wednesday, 30 October 2013, 22:39