Know the Etymology: 327
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 23 February 2014

Marap-paalam, Gal-paalama

மரப்பாலம், க₃ல்பாலம
Marappālam, Kalpālama

Mara+paalam
Gal+paalama

The wooden bridge

The stone bridge

Paalam	Bridge, jetty, dam (Tamil, DED 4099); Dam, embankment, projecting wharf (Tamil, MTL); Bridge over rivers or to connect the walls of compounds (Malayalam, DED 4099); Paa’lam: Bridge (Tamil, Tirunelveli dialect, DED 4099); Paala: Bridge (Kannada, DED 4099); Pala: Bridge (Kodagu, DED 4099); Palm: Bridge (Kota, DED 4099); Polm: Bridge (Toda, DED 4099); Paalama: (singular), Paalam (plural): Bridge (Sinhala); Paazhi: Row, line, regular way (Kannada, DED 4113); Paali: Row, line (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8041); Edge, boundary, bank of tank (Prakrit, CDIAL 8041); Paa’li: Row, line (Pali, CDIAL 8041), Varampu: Boundary, ridge of a field, way, causeway (Tamil, DED 5261); Varai: Small ridge, bank, shore, limit, boundary (Tamil, DED 5261); Paa’lam: Metal cast in moulds (Tamil, DED, 4114); Vaa’lam: Rail, as in Tha’nda-vaa’lam (Tamil); Paa’lam, Vaa’lam: Metal ingot, bar of metal (Malayalam, DED 4114)
Mara	(adjective), Maram (noun): Tree in general, wood, timber (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 4711); Cognates in 20 Dravidian languages (DED 4711)
Gal	Stone, rock, rocky hill as in toponyms (Sinhala); Kal: Stone, rock, boulder, hill/ mountain as in toponyms (Tamil, DED 1298); Cognates in 15 Dravidian languages (DED 1298)

Paalam in Tamil and in Sinhala means a bridge. In Sinhala, the singular form of the word is Paalama.

Paalam is listed as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 4099).

The word may be related to the roots Paa, Para, Paavu etc., connected to extension, flattening and paving (DED 4088, 3949, 4108), to the root Varai (DED 5261), or to the word Paa’lam (DED 4114).

Early literary or inscriptional usages are not available for the word form Paalam, in the sense of meaning a bridge.

Maram in Tamil/ Dravidian means tree in general, wood and timber (DED 4711)

Gal in Sinhala, meaning stone or rock is a cognate of Kal in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1298)

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Marap-paalam is a name of a village in Ea’raavoorppattu division of Batticaloa district.

Gal-paalama is in Nuwara Eliya division of Nuwara Eliya district.

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Some related place names:

Paalam and Paala (adjective of Paalam):

Paala-munai: The point having a bridge; Addaa’laichcheaniai division, Ampaa’rai district; Vellaave’li division, Batticaloa district; Aaraippattai division, Batticaloa district

Chinna-paala-munai: The small part of the Paala-munai village; or the point with the small bridge; Addaa’laichcheanai division, Ampaa’rai district

Va’n’naatthip-paalam: The bridge at the spot of washerwomen’s work place; Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Paalak-kadduvan: The bund cum bridge; or the constructed bridge; Karathu’raippattu division, Mullaithheevu district

Paalam-piddi: The high ground plain having a bridge; or bank that is a bridge; Madu division, Mannaar district

Paalam-poadda-aa’ru: The river where a bridge was made; Thampalakaamam division, Trincomalee district

Paala-nakar: The town or settlement at the bridge; Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

Paalaththadich-cheanai: The shifting cultivation field at the locality of the bridge; Moothoor distrit, Trincomalee district

Paalath-thoappoor; The bridge part of the Thoappoor village (the village of the grove); Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

Periya-paalam: The big bride, Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

Paala-moaddai: The tank that has a bridge; Vavuniyaa division, Vavuniyaa district

Paalam-ka’nda-oor: Paalangka’ndavoor: The village that is bestowed with a bridge: Uhana division, Ampaa’rai district. The place name is Sinhalicised in official records as Paalam Kandavura


Paalama:

Sangili-paalama: The bridge on a cable chain; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district. S’rngkhala: Chain (Sanskrit, CDIAL 12580); Sangkhalaa, Sangkhalika: Chain (Pali, CDIAL 12580); Sangkhalika: Fetter, chain for the legs and feet (Sinhala); Changkili: Chain (Tamil)

Paalan-thiriyaa-goda: Probably the bank bonded by a bridge; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district

Paalaa-gama: The village of the bridge; Homagama division, Colombo district

First published: Sunday, 23 February 2014, 12:14