Know the Etymology: 305
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Ve'l'lai-ma'nal

வெள்ளை மணல்
Veḷḷai-maṇal

Ve'l'lai+ma'nal

The white sands

Ve'l'lai

Whiteness (Tamil, DED 5496a); From Ve'l, Ve'n: White, pure, shining, bright, (Tamil, DED 5496a); Cognates in 19 Dravidian languages (DED 5496a); Vaal: Whiteness (Tamil, DED 5364, Ku'runthokai, 267:4); Vaalitu: That which is white (Tamil, DED 5364, Pathi'r'ruppaththu 39:9); Vaaliya: White (Tamil, Aka:naanoo'ru, 211: 1-2); Vaalukam: White sand (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 6:131); Vaalukaa: Sand, gravel (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11580); Sand (Pali, CDIAL 11580); Valuaa: sand (Prakrit, CDIAL 11579); Wæli: Sand, gravel (Sinhala); Wælla: Sandy place, sand, sandbank, seashore (Sinhala)

Ma'nal

Sand, gravel (Tamil, DED 4666a); From Ma'n: The earth, earth as an element, soil, land (Tamil, DED 4666a)

Ve'l'lai-ma'nal or Ve'nma'nal as a phrase in Tamil means white sand.

Both the components of the phrase, Ve'l'lai meaning whiteness and Ma'nal meaning sand are Tamil words of Dravidian etymology (DED 5496a, 4666a).

Vaal, which also means whiteness in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5364), is a related word of Ve'l'lai. A word deriving from Vaal and meaning white sand in Tamil is Vaalukam, for which cognates could be seen in Sanskrit, Prakrit and in Sinhala (CDIAL 11580). See box above.

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Ve'l'lai-ma'nal is a place in Trincomalee Town and Gravets division of Trincomalee district.

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Some related place names:

Periya-ma'nal: The big sandy tract; Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district

Mana'r-kaadu: The barren sand dunes or the sandy scrub jungle; Vadamaraadchi East division, Jaffna district; Poonakari division, Ki'linochchi district; Kaarainakar, Jaffna district

Ma'na'r-piddi: The sandy high ground; Kaarainakar, Jaffna district

Ma'nal-ku'lam: The sandy pond or the pond in the sandy locality; Thu'nukkaay division, Mullaiththeevu district; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district; Maanthai East division, Mullaiththeevu district; Karaithu'raippa'r'ru division, Mullaiththeevu district

Ma'nal-kea'ni: The sandy constructed pond, or the constructed pond in the sandy locality; Karaithu'raippa'r'ru division, Mullaiththeevu district;

Ma'nal-kudiyiruppu; The settlement in the sandy locality; Karaithu'raippa'r'ru division, Mullaiththeevu district

Ma'nal-cheanai: The slash and burn cultivation field in the sandy locality; Poththuvil division, Ampaa'rai district; Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

Ma'nal-aa'ru: The Sandy River; Ki'n'niyaa division, Trincomalee district; Ma'nal-aa'ru division, Mullaiththeevu district, now Sinhalicised as Wæli-oya

Ma'nal-theevu: The sandy islet; Puththa'lam division, Puththa'lam district


Ma'n: Ma'n-kumpaan: The sand dune; Kayts division, Jaffna district

Ma'n'nai-vi'ndan: The place that cracked the earth or caused collapse of the surface; Pachchilaippa'l'li division, Ki'linochchi district

Ma'n'nadiththa-ku'lam: The tank on which earth was laid (to protect the banks); Ka'ndaava'lai division, Ki'linochchi district

Ma'n'nith-thalai: The sandbar; Poonakari division, Ki'linochchi district

Choo'lai-ma'n-marutha-madu: The tank of Maruthu trees to get earth for the kiln; or the tank of Maruthu trees caused by excavating earth for kilns; Madu division, Mannaar district

Ma'n-ki'ndi: The place to excavate earth; Madu division, Mannaar district

Chem-ma'n-theevu: The islet of red earth; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Cheddi-ma'n-pilavu: The sandy field belonging to a member of the merchant community; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Ma'n'naa-ka'ndal: The sandy marsh or flood plain; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Ma'n'naa-ku'lam: The sandy tank; Vavuniyaa North division, Vavuniyaa district

Chemma'n-vaddai: The red soil paddy field; Chammaanthu'rai division, ampaa'rai district

Ma'n-munai: The sandy point; Ma'nmunaippa'r'ru division, Batticaloa district

Ma'nduth-thoa'naa; The water-surrounded place of silt; Vaakarai division, Batticaloa district

Ma'ndu-kuminthaan: The place where the silt got heaped; Mannaar Town division, Mannaar district

Chemma'n-oadai: The pond of red earth; or the pond in the red soil locality; Koa'ra'laippa'r'ru division, Batticaloa district

Ventha-ma'n-choalai; The grove in the burnt earth; Ea'raavoorpa'r'ru division, Batticaloa district

Ma'ndoor: The village of silt earth; Vellaave'li division, Batticaloa district

Kuru-ma'n-ve'li: The expanse of fine sand; Ka'luvaagnchikkudi division, Batticaloa district

Ma'n-kaadu: The sandy tract or the sandy jungle; Ka'luvaagnchikkudi division, Batticaloa district

Ma'nak-ku'lama: (Sinhalicized of Ma'nal-ku'lam), The sandy tank or the tank in the sandy locality; Madampe division, Puththa'lam district; Thirappane division, Anuradhapura district

Wella-man-karaya: (Sinhalicised of Ve'l'lai-ma'n-karai), The shore of white sand; Wennapuwa division, Puththa'lam district

First published: Wednesday, 20 November 2013, 07:50