Know the Etymology: 307
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Meeya-gala,
Meeyan-kal-ku'lam

மீயக₃ல,
மீயன்கல்குளம்
Mīyagala,
Mīyaṉkalkuḷam

Meeya+gala
Meeyan+kal+ku'lam

The rock or rocky hill of beehives.
The tank of the rock/ rocky hill of beehives.

Meeya

(singular), Meeyan (plural): Beehive (Sinhala); Mihi: Honey (Sinhala); Mihi-paa, Mee-mæssaa: Bee (Sinhala); Mihiri: Sweet (Sinhala); Mee: Pollen, toddy, spirituous liquor, honey (Sinhala); Mee-pæni: Honey (Sinhala); Mee-iti: Bees wax (Sinhala); Mee-kapal: Honeycomb (Sinhala); Mee-kal: Beehive (Sinhala); Mee-wada, Mee wade: Honeycomb (Sinhala); Mee-pidu: Honeycomb, honey in the comb (Sinhala); Mee-mala: Flower of the Bassia latifolia (Sinhala); 1. Migni'ru: Honey bee, beetle (Tamil, DED 4843, Pu'ra:naanoo'ru 22:6); Miceri, Miciri: A species of bee (Kannada, DED 4843); Mesi, Mas: A kind of small bee (Gondi, DED 4843); Mes, Mes-nayi: Honey (Gondi, DED 4843); Moy, Moosu: (verb) To swarm as bees (Tamil, DED 5030); Muja'nti: A kind of honey of very small bees (Kannada, DED 4908); Muja'nte, Mujji'nti , Moja'nti: A small kind of bee, a honeycomb (Tulu, DED 4908); Maja'nti: A small kind of bee, its wax (Tulu, DED 4908); Maa-mui: Honey, literally meaning the honey of flowers as Maa means flower (Dhivehi/ Maldivian); 2. Maya(kkam): Intoxication (Tamil, DED 4706); Maikamu, Maida, Maidu: Intoxication (Telugu, DED 4706); Maayaa: Beer, arrack (Kurux, DED 4706); 3. Matham: Honey, ichor of elephants, intoxication (Tamil, DED 4687); Mada: Intoxication, ichor of elephants (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9773); Madhu: Honey, mead (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9784); Honey, wine made from blossoms of Bassia latifolia (Pali, CDIAL 9784); Madhura: Sweet (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 9793); Madgee: Flower of Bassia latifolia (Kurux, DED 4695); Mathgi: Bassia latifolia (Maltese, DED 4695); 4. Mrshtaa: Sweet, pleasant (Sanskrit, DED 10299); Muruku: Honey, fragrance, toddy (Tamil, Aka:naanoo'ru 137:8, Aka:naanoo'ru 28: 6, Thivaakaram 6:111); Maddu: Honey, toddy, fermented liquor, sweet juice (Tamil, DED 4662)

Meeya in Sinhala means beehive. Meeyan is the plural form of the word. The word is related to Mihi and Mee meaning honey in Sinhala. Mihiri mean sweet in Sinhala.

A Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages relates the Sinhala words Miya (Brahmi inscriptions), Mihi, Mee and Meeya to Madhu in Sanskrit (CDIAL 9784), and relates Miyuru, Mihiri and Meeri meaning sweet to Madhura in Sanskrit (CDIAL 9793). In turn, CDIAL also relates the words to the honey-laden flower of Mahua (Bassia latifolia), which is a well-known source in the preparation of spirituous liquor.

Another etymological comparison may show the relationship of the Sinhala words to the terms used for honeybee and honeycomb in several Dravidian languages (DED 4843, 5030, 4908). Particularly note Moy (verb, to swarm as bees), Migni'ru, Miciri, Mesi (honeybee), Moja'nti (bee, honeycomb), Mui (honey) and Mes (honey).

Even the Sanskrit terms Madhu, Mada, Madhura and Mrshtaa (CDIAL 9784, 9773, 9793 and 10299) have Dravidian parallels listed by the DED (4695, 4687, 4706 and 4662). See the box above to note the intricacy in tracing etymology in this context.

See earlier columns for etymological discussions on Kal/ Gal and Ku'lam.

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Migni'ru meaning honeybee:

“Thean chithaintha varai poala migni'ru aarkkum …irugn chenniya… mazha ka'li'ru” (Pu'ra:naanoo'ru 22: 5-8)

“தேன் சிதைந்த வரை போல மிஞிறு ஆர்க்கும் …இருஞ் சென்னிய… மழ களிறு” (புறநானூறு 22: 5-8)

The big heads of the youthful (battle) elephants resemble a hillside where honeybees swarm around disintegrated beehives (as the heads of the battle elephants full of ichor and were bleeding were swarmed by flies)

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Meeya-gala is in Siyambalanduwa division of Moneragala district.

Meeyan-kal-ku'lam is a place in Ko'ra'laippattu division of Batticaloa district.

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Some related place names:

Kande-meeya: (The place of) beehives in the hill; Hatharaliyadda division, Kandy district

Uhu-meeya: (The place of) beehives at the top; Weerambugedara division, Kurunegala district

First published: Tuesday, 10 December 2013, 22:21