Know the Etymology: 370
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 13 October 2014

Idirili-goda

இதிரிலி கொ₃ட₃
Idirili-goḍa

Idiri+li+goda

The opposite-end bank

Idiri	also Idiriya: position in front of an object, before, or in the presence of a person (Sinhala, Clough); 1 (Abhimukha) what is placed in front, 2 (Anaagataya) future (Sinhala, Sorata); 3 = Ediri (Sinhala, Sorata), enmity, opposition; Ethir: that which is opposite, in front, before, obstacle, that which is contrary (Tamil, DED 795); Etirmai: happening in future (Tamil, DED 795); Ethiri: enemy (Tamil, DED 795); Idir: that which is opposite, in front, opposition (Kannada, DED 785); Idirisu: to face, oppose (Kannada, DED 795)
Li	end, termination (Sinhala); Laya: disappearance (Sanskrit, CDIAL 10962); Il: non-existence (Tamil, DED 2559); Ili: one that doesn't have something (Tamil, as in Ethirili: one that doesn't have opponents)
Goda	bank (land at the edge of water), heap, mass, village, hamlet, hill in place names (Sinhala); Godælla: hill, mound, rising ground (Sinhala); Koadu: summit of a hill, peak, mountain (Tamil, DED 2049); bank of stream or pool (Tamil, DED 2200); place name suffix for mountains and hills (Tamil, Malayalam); Gudde: heap, pile (Kannada, DED 1682); hill (Tulu, DED 1642); heap (Kodagu, DED 1642); field on mountain slopes (Telugu, DED 1682); Gude: hill (Konda, DED 1642). See columns on Naarang-goda-paa'luwa, Veyangoda, Para-goda, Ælla-goda and Karaawe-goda.

Idiri in Sinhala means a position in front of an object or anything in a facing position. Another meaning for the word is future, as it is something in front in time. In addition to the above meanings, Sorata's dictionary equates Idiri with another Sinhala word Ediri, meaning enmity or opposition, as it is another phenomenon that is faced.

In all the said shades, Idiri in Sinhala is identical in meanings to the Tamil/ Dravidian word Ethir (DED 795). See box for the comparable meanings.

However, closer cognates in word form are Idir (noun) and Idirisu (verb) in Kannada (DED 795). See box.

The Li affix to Idiri in the place name could mean an end side.

See earlier columns on the etymology of Goda in Sinhala, meaning a bank, heap or village, and its parallels in Dravidian languages (DED 2049, 2200, 1682, 1642).

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Idirili-goda is a place in Beruwala division of Kalutara district

First published: Monday, 13 October 2014, 14:35