Know the Etymology: 325
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Kantha'laay
(Gangaa-tataaka),
Giritha'le
(Giri-tata-vaapi)

கந்தளாய்
கி₃ரி[த்]தளெ
Kantaḷāy (Gaṅgātaṭāka)
Giritaḷe (Giritaṭavāpi)

Kang+tha'laay
Giri+tha'le

The reservoir of the river

The reservoir with a hill in it

Tha'laay	Also Tha'le: Changed forms or cognates of Thadam/ Thadaakam/ Tataaka/ Tadaaga, meaning a pond, tank or reservoir (T/ D > 'L/ L –interchange; Eezham Tamil and Sinhala place names); Thadam: Pond, water body (Tamil, Kaliththokai, 17:16); Thadam in Tamil is a common word for a reservoir, bund, bank, raised place, barrage, largeness, curvature, impression as of a footprint, way, path and expanse (see boxes on Thadaakam, Tadaaga and the usage examples given below); Thadavu: Pond (Tamil, Pu'ranaanoo'ru 105: 2); Thaddam: Pond (Tamil, Thirumoolar, 2904); Thada'ru: Bank of a water body (Tamil, Kampar, Kidkinthai, 15: 47); Thadaakam: Reservoir (Tamil, Paripaadal, 9:77; inscriptions dating from 697 CE); Tataakaya: (singular), Tataaka (plural): Pond, deep enough for the lotus and other aquatic plants, tank (Sinhala); Ta'laakaya: Tank, pond (Sinhala); Tata: Tank, as found in the name of Giri-tata in historical records (Sinhala); Tha'l'laa, Thallaa: Pond, tank, reservoir (Tamil, place names, as Tha'l'laadi in Mannaar and Thallaak-ku'lam in Madurai); Thallam: Pond, Pit (Tamil, Jaffna Dictionary, MTL); Talla: Reservoir, large tank, pond (Sinhala); Talaa: Any large sheet of water, large pond covered with flowers (Sinhala); See box on Thadaakam for etymology. Also see column on Tha'l'laadi.
Thadaakam	1. Thadai+akam: The dammed premises; from the verb root Thadu: To stop, block, dam, detain (Tamil, DED 3031); Thadavu: Prison (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 3031); Thadai: Obstruction, bund, embankment (Tamil, DED 3031); Thadi: Salt pan or plot of paddy field that is banked on four sides to retain water, also water (Tamil, Natti'nai 254: 10; Thivaakaram, 5: 209; Pingkalam 1: 57; inscription, 809 CE, SII, xiv, 40); Thatti: Bund, dam (Gondi, DED 3031); cognates in 12 Dravidian languages (DED 3031); Thaddoar: Those who have built dams to make reservoirs (Tamil, Pu'ranaanoo'ru, 18: 29); 2. Thaazh+akam, Thaa'l+akam: The same as Thadai-akam, ZH/ 'L > D interchange, Thaazh, Thaa'l: Bolt, bar, latch, lock (Tamil, DED 3179); Tha'lai: To bind, fasten, confine (Tamil, DED 3133); Taada: Latch (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5749); Taa'la: (door) bar (Pali, CDIAL 5749); CDIAL cites Tamil; 3. Thaazh+akam: The deep or concave place for water; Thaazh: To be deep, low, shallow, bend, sink etc. (Tamil, DED 3178); Thaazhi: large water jar, urn, pan etc., (Tamil, DED 3182); Thadaa, Thadaa-a: Curving (Tamil, Changkam diction, Natti'nai, 18: 9); Thadavu: Curve, concave (Tamil, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 301: 1); Large jar for water or liquids (Tamil, Changkam diction, Natti'nai, 227: 7); Thadaa: Jar, big pot, pot (Tamil, DED 3027); 4. Thada+akam: Large sheet (of water); Thada: Large, broad, full (Tamil, DED 3020); Thadam: Largeness, greatness, width, expanse (Tamil, DED 3020).
Tadaaga	Also Tadaaka, Tataaka: Pool (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5635); Tadaaga: Pool (Prakrit, CDIAL 5635); Ta'laaka: Pond, pool, reservoir (Pali, CDIAL 5635); Tata: Slope, shore (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5629); Bank, side of hill (Pali, CDIAL 5629); Tatee: Bank (Pali, CDIAL 5629); Tada: shore (Prakrit, CDIAL 5629);
Kan	Changed form of Gangaa (singular), Gan (plural): River in general (Sinhala); Kangkai: River Ganges, river in general, (Tamil); Gangaa: The river Ganges (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3952). In the context of Kantha'laay/ Gangaa-tataaka, Gangaa means the river Mahaweli Ganga. The K beginning shows Tamilisation.
Giri	Hill, mountain (Sinhala); Kiri: Hill, mountain (Tamil); Giri: Rock, mountain (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 4161). Note the distant linguistic affinities between Dravidian Kal, meaning stone, rock and hill (DED 1298) and Indo-Aryan Giri (L/ R interchange).

The old name for today's Kantha'laay found in the historical records is Gangaa-tataaka, meaning the reservoir of the river.

Obviously the name stands for the large reservoir found at this place that receives water from the river Mahaa-wæli-ganga flowing nearby. The settlement acquired the name from the name of the reservoir.

The suffix Tha'laay in the Eezham Tamil usage of the place name Kantha'laay; the prefix, Tha'l'laa, in the place name Tha'l'laadi (Tha'l'laa+adi) in Mannaar, and the Sinhala place name component Tha'le coming in the context of reservoirs, correspond to the dictionary entries Talla/ Talaa in Sinhala (Clough) and Thallam in Tamil (MTL), meaning a pond, reservoir or large sheet of water.

All the above said terms being cognates or changed forms of Tataaka/ Thadam/ Thadaakam, by T/ D – 'L/ L interchange, could be seen from the example of Gangaa-tataaka becoming Kantha'laay, and from the presence of the words Tataakaya and its alternative form Ta'laakaya in the Sinhala dictionary entries (Clough). The change from Tadaaga to Ta'laaka could be seen between Sanskrit and Pali as well (CDIAL 5635).

The T/ D – ZH/ 'L / L interchange took place between languages as well as within languages, and tracing a uniform pattern in space or time is often elusive. Note that the D > L change was reverse in the case of the Eezham Tamil place name component Moaddai, meaning a deep pond or pool formed by natural cavity and the word Moazhai (DED 4994) meaning the same in old Tamil literary usages (7th century CE, Periyaazhvaar, 3: 7: 4).

* * *

A comparative Dictionary of Indo Aryan Languages (CDIAL 5635) has entries for the words Tadaaga, Tadaaka, Tataaka (Sanskrit/ Prakrit) and Ta'laaka (Pali).

The earliest usage example in Sanskrit comes from Sankhaayana Grihya sutra.

On etymology, CDIAL cites possible connections to another word Tata (CDIAL 5629), meaning a slope or shore in Sanskrit and a bank or side of a hill in Pali. Earliest usage example for Tata comes from Mahabharata.

A Dravidian Etymological Dictionary (DED) has no entries on Thadaakam or on Thadam, which itself was meaning a pond or reservoir in Tamil.

However, DED 3031 lists the possible etymological verb root Thadu as Tamil/ Dravidian. Its derivatives meaning dam, embankment etc., include the relevant shades of meaning of Tata in Sanskrit too.

The Dravidian-related etymological entries and Indo-Aryan related etymological entries are given under separate boxes. Compare them and also see the Tamil usage examples

* * *

Four etymological possibilities are listed under the box Thadaakam: Of which, the first two roots, Tadu/ Thadai (DED 3031) and Thaazh/ Thaa'l (DED 3179), traces the origin of Thadam/ Thadaakam to bank, barrage or dam that makes a pond or reservoir. The third one, Thaazh/ Thadaa (DED 3178) is related to concavity that makes a place receptacle for water. Note how D and ZH/ 'L interchange within Tamil itself in the three sets of roots cited above. The fourth one, Thadam (DED 3020), is related to sheet- like expanse of water.

However, a close scrutiny of usage examples shows that the etymology of Thadam/ Thadaakam was related to bank, barrage or dam.

The best of the usage evidence to trace the etymology of Thadaakam to Tamil/ Dravidian verb root Thadu (to dam, DED 3031) comes from Pu'ranaanoo'ru (18: 29), where the word Thaddoar from the root Thadu, unambiguously refers to those who stop water by building dams, in order to make reservoirs (see the relevant usage example below).

The etymology of Thadaakam is thus comparable to Eari, Neari, Mu'rippu, Kaddu etc., in which the term for dam became the term for reservoir.

* * *

Thadam meaning pond in Changkam Literature:

“mukai vaayththa thadam poalum” (Kaliththokai, 17: 16)

“முகை வாய்த்த தடம் போலும்” (கலித்தொகை, 17: 16)

Like the pond bestowed with flower buds


Thadavu meaning pond in Changkam literature:

“Thadavu vaayk kaliththa maa ithazhk kuva'lai” (pu'ranaanoo'ru, 105: 2)

“தடவு வாய்க் கலித்த மா இதழ்க் குவளை” (புறநானூறு, 105: 2)

The blue lotus of large-petals blossomed in the pond


Thaddam meaning a pond:

“Thaddaththu neerilea thaamarai pooththathu” (Thirumoolar, 2904)

“தட்டத்து நீரிலே தாமரை பூத்தது” (திருமூலர், 2904)

Lotus bloomed in the water of the pond

* * *

Thaddoar in Changkam literature meaning those who have built dams for reservoirs:

“Neer nilai perukath thaddoar amma iva'n thaddoarea” (Pu'ra:naanoo'ru 18: 29)

“நீர் நிலை பெருகத் தட்டோர் அம்ம இவண் தட்டோரே” (புறநானூறு 18: 29)

Only those who have built dams for the augmentation of stored water are the great ones here [Thaddoar in the first instance means dam-builders, and in the second instance means great people.]


Thadi in Changkam literature meaning a saltpan retaining water within baulks:

“Near ka'n chi'ru thadi neer maatti” (Natti'nai, 254: 10)

“நேர் கண் சிறு தடி நீர் மாற்றி” (நற்றிணை, 254: 10)

Bringing water to the levelled, small, saltpans


Thada'ru meaning a bank of a water body:

“Kodi'ru thaangkiya vaayk kuzhu naarai vaazh thada'ru” (Kamparaamaaya'nam, Kidkinthai, 15: 47)

“கொடிறு தாங்கிய வாய்க் குழு நாரை வாழ் தடறு” (கம்பராமாயணம், கிட்கிந்தை, 15: 47)

The bank where flock of flamingos holding pliers as mouths live


Thadam meaning bank of a water body:

“Vaaramea…thadamea…neerk karaip pear che'ri varampitkum pearea” (Choodaama'ni Nika'ndu 5: 18)

“வாரமே…தடமே…நீர்க் கரைப் பேர் செறி வரம்பிற்கும் பேரே” (சூடாமணி நிகண்டு 5: 18)

Vaaram…thadam…[and few more]…are names for the bank of water bodies. They are also names for enclosing baulks.

* * *

Thadaakam in Changkam literature meaning a reservoir that receives water and stores it:

“Puthup punal thadaakam eatta tha'n chunai” (Paripaadal, 9: 76-77)

“புதுப் புனல் தடாகம் ஏற்ற தண் சுனை” (பரிபாடல், 9: 76-77)

The cool pool equal to (the dimensions of) a reservoir that receives new water


Thadaakam meaning reservoir or artificial lake in Tamil inscriptions:

“Ivvoor parameachchura thadaakaththukku” (697 CE, SII, I, 151; EI, xvii, 22)

“இவ்வூர் பரமேச்சுர தடாகத்துக்கு” (697 CE, SII, I, 151; EI, xvii, 22)

To the reservoir named after Parameachchura in this village




“Thadam pootham pa'ni ko'ndu thadaakangka'l pala thiruththi” (921 CE, SII, ii, 206a)

“தடம் பூதம் பணி கொண்டு தடாகங்கள் பல திருத்தி” (921 CE, SII, ii, 206a)

Renovating many reservoirs by getting the service of big demons

* * *

Thada, Thadaa, Thadavu, meaning curvature, concavity and large receptacle for water etc:

“Thadang koaddu erumai” (Aingku'ru:noo'ru 10)

“தடங் கோட்டு எருமை” (ஐங்குறுநூறு 10)

The buffalo having curved hors


“Ka'l'ludaith thadavil” (Natti'nai, 227: 7)

“கள்ளுடைத் தடவில்” (நற்றிணை, 227: 7)

In the jar having toddy


Thadam meaning reservoir, bank, elevated place, hill, slope, curvature, breadth:

“Thadam malai perumai koa'nal chari karai akalam vaavi” (Choodaama'ni Nika'ndu, 11: 59)

“தடம் மலை பெருமை கோணல் சரி கரை அகலம் வாவி” (சூடாமணி நிகண்டு, 11: 59)

Thadam means, hill, greatness, curvature, slope, bank of water body, breadth and reservoir

* * *

The components Gangaa (CDIAL 3952) and Giri (CDIAL 4161) in the place names of this column are of Indo-Aryan etymology. But both were used in Tamil since early times as Kangkai to mean the river Ganges (Natti'nai 189: 5) and Kiri to mean hill or mountain (Choo'laama'ni 2045).

Gangaa in Sinhala usage primarily means river in general than the river Ganges.

The Kan part in Kantha'laay might have come due to Tamilisation.

* * *

Excerpts on Kantha'laay from “The Evolution of an Ethnic Identity,” 2006, pp 228-229, by K. Indrapala (diacritical marks and footnotes are not reproduced):

“[…] Though the Buddhist chronicles do not provide any information about the establishment of brahmedeyas by the Anuradhapura rulers, it would appear that such settlements were established at least in those areas that had come under strong Pallava influence in the east.”

“The area in the east where we get the most number of archaeological remains indicating Pallava influence is that between the ancient port of Pallavavanka in the north and Gokarna (Trincomalee) in the south, and extending interior as far as Padaviya and Kantalay. In this territory, while Tiriyay and Kuccaveli have yielded inscriptions and monuments revealing Mahayana influences, Padaviya and Kanthalay have remains showing that these were Saiva centres with Brahmana settlements.”

“As Saiva centres, Padaviya and Kantalay rose into prominence with the Cola conquest at the end of the tenth century. Clearly they were two of the prominent brahmedeyas in the island […].”

“Kantalay was a prominent brahmadeya that enjoyed the patronage of both Cola administrators and Sinhala monarchs. Situated in an area irrigated by the large Ganga-tataka (Kanthalay) reservoir, it may have originated when this tank was built in the seventh century. In the reign of Rajaraja Cola I, this brahmadeya had the name Rajaraja caturvedimangalam. The Saiva temple there was also, in all probability, given a name after the Cola emperor. For, we find that when Vijayabahu I succeeded in ousting the Cola rulers from the island, the name of the brahmadeya was changed to Vijayaraja-caturvedimangalam, after the Sinhalese monarch, and interestingly the Siva temple was re-named as Vijayaraja-isvaram, giving room to surmise that the earlier name was associated with Rajaraja. After Vijayabahu I, one of the notable royal patrons of this brahmadeya was his grandson, Gajabahu II (1132 -1153).”

* * *

In 1978, Professor K. Indrapala deciphered and published a 11th century CE inscription found at Kantha'laay, issued by Choazha Langkea'svara Deva, the Chola viceroy in the island.

On the usage of the term Thadaaka in the island, Indrapala considers that it might have come with the influence of the Pallavas.

“The terms tataka and eri are not commonly used for tanks in other parts of the island and may therefore, indicate some Pallava connection,” he writes (2006, ibid, p. 237).

The connection between the Kantha'laay reservoir and Saivism continued to the present times. By convention, the first 10 feet of water of the Kantha'laay reservoir should go to the paddy fields belonging to the Koa'nesar Temple at Thampalakaamam.

* * *

Kantha'laay (Kantalai) is a town and headquarters of a division by its name in the Trincomalee district. In the recent decades it has become predominantly a Sinhala-Buddhist town in the district.

Giri-tha'le is in Hingurakgoda division of Polonnaruwa district. The Giri-tha'le tank has a hill in the middle of it. Giri-tata-vaapi is the name found in historical records. It was also built about the same time as of Gangaa-tataaka (Kantha'laay), i.e., 7th century CE.

First published: Wednesday, 12 February 2014, 07:24