Know the Etymology: 367
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 02 October 2014

Mæ'nik-diwela

மெ[æ]ணிக் தி₃வெல
Mæṇk-divela

Mæ'nik+diwela

The gem-bearing land granted in lieu of payment for services

Diwela

(singular), Diwel (plural): land granted by government in lieu of payment for services (Sinhala, Clough); livelihood, village given for enjoyment of benefits, place given for livelihood in lieu of services, means of subsistence, payment in kind (Sinhala, Sorata); from Jeevana: livelihood (Sinhala, J/ D interchange, Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 5243); Cheevitha-pattu, Cheevitham: land granted for the lifetime livelihood of a person (Tamil, inscriptions, 1235 CE, IPS, 307; 1435 CE, SII, vii, 777); Theevitha-pattu: equivalent to Cheevitha-pattu (Tamil, inscriptions, 1223 CE, JOR, xx, Appendix, p. 19-20; note the Ch/ Th change in Tamil)

Mæ'nik

also Mæ'nika: gem, jewel, any precious stone or costly ornament (Sinhala); Ma'ni, Mæ'na, Mi'na, Mi'ni: gem, jewel, precious stone (Sinhala); Maa'nikya: ruby (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9997); Ma'ni: jewel, ornament (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 9731); crystal (Tamil, Natti'nai, 28: 5); ruby (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 274: 7); blue gem (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 49: 5); red coral (Tamil, Akanaanoo'ru, 5: 25); crystal clear (Tamil, Natti'nai, 92: 6); ball shape, eye ball, pearl, diamond, ornament (other Tamil usages); gong, bell, sound of bell, jingle (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 86: 6; 155: 4; 173: 3; DED 4672); Maa'nikkam: a gem (Tamil, Champanthar Theavaaram, 2: 14: 6); topaz (Tamil, Thivaakaram, 6: 8); Maa'n: excellence, glory, splendour, greatness, beauty (Tamil, DED 4803); Ma'nal: sand, gravel (Tamil, DED 4666 a)

Diwela is a land-grant term of the times of Kotte and Kandyan kingdoms. As a place name component it is mostly noticed in the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces. Diwala, found in some instances, seems to be a variation of Diwela.

Diwela means a land or village granted by the government to a person, in lieu of payment for services.

By J > D change, the Sinhala term Diwela is related to Jeevana in Sanskrit/ Indo-Aryan, meaning livelihood.

A related term Cheevitham, found used in Tamil inscriptions after 13th century CE, means a land granted for livelihood for a lifetime.

Similar to the J/ D change observed in Sinhala, Ch/ Th change is noticed in Tamil inscriptional usages, as Theevitham is an alternative form found used for Cheevitham in some inscriptions (see box)

* * *

Mæ'nik, Mæ'nika, Ma'ni, Mæ'na, Mi'na and Mi'ni mean gem or any precious stone in Sinhala.

The words are cognates of Ma'ni meaning jewel and Maa'nikya meaning ruby in Sanskrit (CDIAL 9731, 9997).

Ma'ni in Sanskrit is of Rig Vedic diction. However Ma'ni is found used in elaborate shades of meanings in Changkam Tamil literature too, specifically meaning different gems, bell, jingle etc. (see box).

In the sense of bell or jingle, Ma'ni is listed as of Dravidian etymology (DED 4672). The root word Ma'n/ Ma'nal meaning sand or gravel in Dravidian (DED 4666), and another root Maa'n/ Maa'ni meaning beauty and splendour (DED 4803) also need to be considered in the etymology of Ma'ni/ Maa'nikkam meaning gem.

* * *

Mæ'nik-diwela is in Yatinuwara division of Kandy district

* * *

Some related place names:

Diwela:

Maa-diwela: The big land or village granted in lieu of payment for services; Maharagama division, Colombo district

Heawaa-diwela: The land or village granted in lieu of payment for services; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district. Heawaa: service

Kumbal-diwela: The potter's land/ village granted in lieu of payment for services; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Rang-diwela: The golden land or village granted in lieu of payment for services; Medadumbara division, Kandy district

Puwak-gaha-diwela: The land or village of areca nut palms granted in lieu of payment for services; Medadumbara division, Kandy district


Diwala:

Rang-diwala: The golden land or village granted in lieu of payment for services; Mawanella division, Kegalle district

Rangkoth-diwala: The land or village granted in lieu of payment for services having a golden- spired building; Mavanella division, Kegalle district

Goan-diwala: The land of Goan trees or of elks, granted in lieu of payment for services; Mawanella division, Kegalle district

Ka'lu-hen-diwala: Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Divala-kada: The forest granted in lieu of payment for services; or the side of the village granted in lieu of payment for services; or Divula-kada: the wood apple tree forest; Bulathsinhala division, Kalutara district


Mæ'nik:

Mæ'nik-landa: The gem-bearing sloping ground of low jungle; Dompe division, Gampaha district

Mæ'nik-hinna: The gem-bearing long range; Kundasale division, Kandy district

Mæ'nik-sorowwa: The gem-bearing drain; Medirigriya division, Polonnaruwa district. Sorowwa = Soro: drain, gutter, sewer, a hole through which water flows, (Sinhala); probably from Suranka

Mæ'nik-wela: The gem-bearing paddy field; Welikanda division, Polonnaruwa district

Mæ'nik-kadawara: The gem-bearing channel or ditch; Warakapola division, Kegalle district. Kadawara: Channel, ditch, gutter (Sinhala)

Mænik-ganga: The gem-bringing river; a river in the Moneragala and Hambantota districts


Mi'ni:

Mi'ni-gamuwa: The gem-bearing village: Thumpane division, Kandy district


Maanik:

Maanik-goda: The gem-bearing bank; Akuressa division, Matara district

Maanikkaawa: The place of gems; Udunuwara division, Kandy district

First published: Thursday, 02 October 2014, 22:50