Know the Etymology: 311
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Veeraich-choalai, Weera-sole

வீரைச்சோலை, வீர ஸொலெ
Vīraiccōlai
Vīrasole

Veerai+choalai
Weera+sole

The forest or grove of Drypetes sepiaria trees

Veerai

Drypetes sepiaria, a widely found forest tree in Vanni and in the dry zone of the island, favoured as firewood and comes in place names (Eezham Tamil); Veerai: Drypetes sepiaria (Tamil Nadu Tamil, the term is also noticed in the dialect of the Iru'lar tribe, indiabiodiversity.org); a tree of the arid tract described of its burning qualities (Tamil literature, Kalingkaththup-para'ni, 3:2); A tree (Tamil, MTL, Pingkala Nika'ndu, 10:1062); Veera-maram: Drypetes sepiaria (Malayalam); Weera: Drypetes sepiaria, often noted as a popular forest tree and comes in place names (Sinhala); Fire, sacrificial fire (Sinhala, Clough); Viraay: Fuel, firewood (Tamil, DED 5440); Vi'raku: Firewood, fuel, sacrificial fuel (Tamil, DED 5440); firewood (Malayalam, DED 5440); Viroaya'na: Fire (Prakrit, CDIAL 11876)

Choalai

Grove, flower garden (Tamil, DED 2891); forest (Tamil, Changkam usage, Akanaanoo'ru 109: 5); Dense and shady growth of trees (Tamil usages); Choala: Grove, shade, cool retreat, fresh spring (Malayalam, DED 2891); Colgn: Man of the forest tribe (Kota, DED 2891); Sole: Jungle with trees (Badaga, DED 2891); Caalaa: Grove (Kurux, DED 2891); Cale: Grove (Maltese, DED 2891); Thoalai: A variation of Choalai (Jaffna place names); Tel: forest (kota, DED 2891); Twas, Swal: Terms for thicket and jungle respectively (Toda, DED 2891); Sole: Forest, grove (Sinhalicised place names); The commonly used term in Sinhala is Golla, a cognate of Kollai in Tamil and is a variation of Choalai.

Veerai in Eezham Tamil and Weera in Sinhala are names of a tree, Drypetes sepiaria, widely found in the forests of the island, especially in Vanni and in the dry zone.

The evergreen tree bears small edible fruits that are red in colour and mildly sweet when ripe. It is said that a sloth bear is called Weera-muththaa (the grandfather or old man of the Weera tree) in Sinhala, because it is often found on a Weera tree eating the fruits. (Muththaa meaning paternal grandfather in Sinhala is a cognate of Muthu: old; Mooththoan: senior, elder, elderly man in Tamil and Muththan: old man; Muththappan: grandfather in Malayalam; from the root verb Moo, meaning to become old in Tamil/ Dravidian; DED 4954)

Veerai/ Weera makes excellent firewood and it is cut mainly for that purpose. A large part of the commercially marketed firewood in the island comes from this tree.

Drypetes sepiaria is also found in the forests of southern India and the name is the same, Veerai in Tamil and Veera-maram in Malayalam. The tree is identified as Veerai by the Iru'lar tribe of southern India too.

Veerai as the name of a tree is attested by the old Tamil lexicon Pingkalam (c. 10th century CE) and by the literature Kalingkaththup-para'ni (11th century CE). Placing Veerai along with Kaarai and Choorai found in the arid tract, Kalingkaththup-para'ni also comes out with a note on how they burn when set on fire.

There is an etymological probability that the name Veerai/ Weera for Drypetes sepiaria has come because of the firewood value of the tree. Viraay and Vi'raku mean firewood in Tamil (DED 5440). Interestingly, another meaning of the word Weera in Sinhala is fire or sacrificial fire (Clough). Prakrit has a cognate Viroaya'na, meaning fire.

* * *

Veerai, mentioned as a tree in old Tamil lexicon, dated to c. 10 century CE:

“Oru marap peyarum…veerai aakum” (Pingkala Nika'ndu 10: 1062)

“ஒரு மரப் பெயரும்…வீரை ஆகும்” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு 10: 1062)

(Along with the other meanings) Veerai is also a name of a tree

Reference to Veerai tree in Tamil literature (11 century CE):

“Porintha kaarai karintha choorai pukaintha veerai erinthavea” (Kalingkaththup Para'ni 3:2)

“பொரிந்த காரை கரிந்த சூரை புகைந்த வீரை எரிந்தவே” (கலிங்கத்துப் பரணி 3:2)

Kaarai, Choorai and Veerai (trees) were burning (in the arid jungle), respectively with cracking sound, charring and smoking

* * *

Choalai is listed as a Tamil/ Dravidian word (DED 2891), meaning a grove, flower garden, cluster of trees and also a forest (Akanaanoo'ru 109:5).

The Sole suffix now found in the official records of place names, especially in the provinces adjacent to North and East of the island usually marks recent Sinhalicisation. The older Sinhala names of North Central and Northwest Provinces are commonly found with the suffix Golla to mean a grove or forest. Golla is once again a cognate of Kollai in Tamil. Kollai and Choalai are also etymologically related (K/ C interchange).

* * *

Veeraich-choalai, often called Veerach-choalai, is a place in the Naavithanve'li division of Ampaa'rai district

Weera-sole is a place in Horowpothana division of Anuradhapura district

* * *

Some related place names:

Weera-kanda: The hill of Weera trees; Walallawita division, Kalutara district

Weera-pana: The forest of Weera trees; Thawalama division, Galle district. Pana: either from Vana, meaning forest or from Pan for leaves meaning tree or forest as in the usage of Kola

Weera-ketiya: The part or block of Weera trees; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Weera-vil-Ara: The stream of the lake or marsh in the locality of Weera trees; Lunugamvehera division, Hambantota district

Weera-vila: The lake or marsh in the locality of Weera trees; Lunugamvehera division, Hambantota district

Weera-hela: The marsh of Weera trees; Thissamaharama division, Hambantota district

Weera-gas-wewa: The tank in the locality of Weera trees; Angunakolapelassa division, Hambantota district

Weera-adiya: The bottom (of the landscape) found with Weera trees; Mahaoya division, Ampaa'rai district

Weera-goda: The hill/ bank/ village of Weera trees; Uhana division, Ampaa'rai district

Weera-pokuna: The waterhole or natural pond in the locality of Weera trees; Bingiriya division, Kurunegala district

Weera-gala: The rock or rocky hill of Weera trees; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Weera-kele-watta: The garden in the forest of Weera trees; Chilaapam division, Puththa'lam district

Weera-hena: The slash and burn cultivation field in the Weera forest; Nattandiya division, Puththa'lam district

Eta-weera-gollewa: The forest of Eta-weera (a variety of Weera trees, Drypetes gardneri, The National Red List 2012, p319); Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district. Eta-weera literally means the elephant Weera.

Gal-weera-gollewa: The forest of Gal-weera (a variety of Weera trees, Drypetes gardneri, The National Red List 2012, p319); Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district. Gal-weera literally means the stony Weera.

Weera-gama: The village of Weera trees; Hingurakgoda division, Polonnaruwa district

Weera-landa: The low jungle of Weera trees in the high ground; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Weera-pedesa: The area of Weera trees; Thamankaduwa division, Polonnaruwa dstrict

Weera-galla: The rocky hill of Weera trees; Yatiyanthota division, Kegalle district

Veerai:

Veera-munai: Veerai+munai: The point of Veerai trees; Chammaanthu'rai division, Ampaa'rai district

Veerak-kaaddaa'ru: Veeraik+kaaddu+aa'ru: The stream of the forest of Veerai trees; Ea'raavoorpattu division, Batticaloa district

Veeran-cheanai: Probably, Veeraich-cheanai: The slash and burn fields in the Veerai forest; Poaratheevuppattu division, Batticaloa district

Veeran-choalai: Probably Veeraich-choalai: The forest or grove of Veerai trees; Kuchchave'li division, Trincomalee district

Veeran-theevu: Probably, Veeraith-theevu: The water surrounded area of Veerai trees; Kuchchave'li division, Trincomalee district

First published: Tuesday, 31 December 2013, 23:58