Know the Etymology: 387
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 16 January 2015

Aalang-ka'ndu, Cheathupathiyaar-ka'ndu

ஆலங்கண்டு, சேதுபதியார்கண்டு
Ālaṅkaṇṭu, Cētupatiyārkaṇṭu

Aalam+ka'ndu
Cheathupathiyaar+ka'ndu

The part or enclosure identified with a banyan tree

The part or enclosure of a person named Cheathupathi

Ka'ndu	a seldom-found place name suffix seems to be meaning a part, small area or enclosure (Eezham Tamil); 1. Probably a form of Ka'ndi: sector, part, division, quarters, a popular place name suffix usually meaning a small area (Eezham Tamil); a part (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Ka'ndukam: a measure of land (Tamil, inscription in Karnataka, 1008 CE, EC. Ix, Cp, 128); Ka'ndam: a part, division, piece, as in sugar cane, bamboo etc. (Tamil, Changkam diction, Paripaadal, 19: 33-34); division of land (Tamil, Thirumoolar, 1425, inscription, 923 CE, SII, iii. 123); from the root Ka'n, Ka'nu: joint in bamboo, cane, etc., and thus a division (Tamil, DED 1160); Ka'n: place, site, a locative case suffix (Tamil, DED 1161); Kaa'ni: a fraction of time or space, a land measure, landed property, possession (Tamil, DED 1444); also see column on Kandy; 2. Probably related (by nasalization) to Kaddu, Kaddi, Kaddai: part, enclosure (Eezham Tamil place names); Katti: a part (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Kæti: a part (Sinhala place names); related to Kaddu: to bind, bound part (Tamil, DED 1147); see column on Thoalai-kaddi
Aalam	also Aal, Aala-maram: Banyan tree, Ficus bengalensis (Tamil, DED 382)
Cheathupathi	literally meaning the Lord of the Cheathu (Adam's Bridge); title of the Ma'ravar chieftains or kinglets ruling from Ramanathapuram, seen in usage since 1604 CE; a personal name or family name noticed in Eezham Tamil; Cheathu-kaavalan: literally meaning the protector or ruler of Cheathu (Adam's Bridge); a title of the kings of Jaffna seen before the times of Cheathupathi (Chekaraasa Cheakara Maalai, Thaksha'na Kailaasa Puraa'nam); Cheathu is the legend found in the coins of the Kings of Jaffna; the legend Cheathu and seated bull make the emblem of the Kings of Jaffna (Chekaraasa Cheakara Maalai); Cheathu: Adam's Bridge (Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar, c. 9th century CE; Tamil inscription, 1068 CE, SII, iv, 529); dam (Tamil, Thivaakaram, 5: 46); Setu: Dam, bridge, boundary (Sanskrit, CDIAL 13585); Causeway, bridge (Pali, CDIAL 13585); Seu: Dam, bridge (Prakrit, CDIAL 13585); Chear: To join, reach, Tamil, DED 2814). See column on Edanduwawa

Ka'ndu is a seldom-found suffix in Eezham Tamil place names. It comes mostly in locality names and is noticed in both the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Some of the place name examples such as Aalang-ka'ndu, Pu'liyang-ka'ndu, Mathurang-ka'ndu etc., may look as though Ka'ndu is a form of Kan'ru, meaning a young tree. But the examples Cheathupathiyaar-ka'ndu and Panang-ka'ndu clearly show that Ka'ndu is not related to a young tree, but means a part, division or locality of land.

Ka'ndu seems to be a form of Ka'ndi, a popular suffix found in Eezham Tamil place names, meaning a part, enclosure, sector, division, locality etc. Ka'ndi in colloquial Sinhala also means a part (Sorata Thera's dictionary).

A form Ka'ndukam is seen in the Tamil inscriptions meaning a measure of land, and this usage is mostly found in the inscriptions coming from Karnataka (Epigraphia Carnatica, ix, Cp. 128), obviously showing the influence of Old Kannada in which Ka'nduga is a measure of land (Ganga inscriptions in Old Kannada).

All the said forms could etymologically be related to the root Ka'n/ Ka'nu, which in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1160) means a joint in bamboo, sugar cane etc., and thus means a division. Ka'n meaning an eye is also a locative case suffix and means a place or site in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1159, 1161). Also see column on Kandy.

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Ka'n meaning eye:

“Ka'n paadu ollaavea” (Ku'runthokai, 5: 4-5)

“கண் பாடு ஒல்லாவே” (குறுந்தொகை, 5: 4-5)

My eyes are not closing (I am not sleeping)


Ka'n meaning place:

“Irung ka'n gnaalam” (Ku'runthokai, 267: 1)

“இருங் கண் ஞாலம்” (குறுந்தொகை, 267: 1)

The big-spaced world


Ka'n meaning a joint as in sugar cane etc:

“Karumpin ka'n idai anna” (Ku'runthokai, 180: 3)

“கரும்பின் கண் இடை அன்ன” (குறுந்தொகை, 180: 3)

Like the part between the joints in a sugar cane


Ka'ndam meaning the part between joints as in sugarcane etc:

“Ka'ndak karumpu kavazham maduppaar”

“கண்டக் கரும்பு கவழம் மடுப்பார்”

Some will be seen feeding (elephants) with bundles of sugarcane pieces divided at the joints


Ka'ndam meaning a part or division of land:

“Vada ka'ndaththu engka'l ira'ndu maavum then ka'ndaththu meatkadaiya oru maavum” (923 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, iii, 123)

“வட கண்டத்து எங்கள் இரண்டு மாவும் தென் கண்டத்து மேற்கடைய ஒரு மாவும்” (923 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, iii, 123)

Two measures of our land in the northern part and one measure towards the west in the southern part

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Cheathu-pathi, literally meaning the lord of Cheathu (Adam's Bridge), is a title of the rulers or kinglets of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, under the territory of whom Rameswaram comes in.

The usage of the term Cheathupathi comes since 1604 CE, the year in which Muththu Krish'nappa Naayakkar, the Nayaka ruler of Mathurai, made a chief of the Ma'ravar/ Thevar (warrior) community as the feudatory ruler of Ramanathapuram. The chief Chadaiyakka Theavar was the first Cheathupathi, known as Udaiyaan Cheathupathi.

Before that, the lordship of Cheathu or the Adam's Bridge reef was vested with the Kings of Jaffna, who were known by the title Cheathu-kaavalan, meaning the protectors or rulers of the Cheathu. The legend Cheathu, along with seated bull, was the emblem of the Kings of Jaffna, which could be seen in their coins (Rasanayagam. C., Foreword to Kailaayamaalai, 1939).

The etymology of Cheathu is traced to Seatu of Rig Vedic diction in Sanskrit, meaning any dam or bridge (CDIAL 13585). The early applications of the term in Tamil usage to mean the Adam's Bridge reef could be found in the hymns of Aazhvaars dating from c. 9th century CE and in inscriptional usages dating from 11th century CE. The Tamil terms of local folk usage for the Adam's Bridge reef and the sandbanks in it are Thirudai and Theedai (related to DED 3245 and 3221). Another Tamil/ Dravidian term Paampu, meaning a bank or a girdle-like structure/ edge (DED 4086), still survives in the place name Paampan in Rameswaram.

Cheathu-kaavalar and Cheathu-pathi are often found as personal names or family names in Eezham Tamil, especially in Jaffna.

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Cheathu-kaavalan as title of the Kings of Jaffna:

“Cheathu kaavalavan vignchai vignchu chekaraacha cheakaran” (Chekaraacha Cheakara Maalai)

“சேது காவலவன் விஞ்சை விஞ்சு செகராச சேகரன்” (செகராச சேகர மாலை)

Chekaraacha Cheakaran (King of Jaffna), who is the ruler or protector of Cheathu and who excels in knowledge or skills


“Chingkaiyaathipan cheathu kaavalan […] theyva maamudich chekaraacha cheakaran” (Thakshi'na Kailaasa Puraa'nam, invocation, line 18)

“சிங்கையாதிபன் சேது காவலன் […] தெய்வ மாமுடிச் செகராச சேகரன்” (தக்ஷிண கைலாச புராணம், பாயிரம், வரி 18)

Chekaraacha Cheakaran (King of Jaffna) of divine great crown, who is the sovereign at Chingkai (the capital of the kingdom) and who is the protector or ruler of Cheathu

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Aalang-ka'ndu is a locality in Kaarainakar Island of Jaffna district. There is a temple called Aalang-ka'ndu Vairavar

Cheathupathiyaar-ka'ndu is a locality in Tho'ndaimaan-aa'ru, Vadamaraadchi North division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 63). There are some Ma'ravar settlements along the northern coast, such as Periya-naadduth-theavan-thu'rai and Veera-maa'nikkath-theavan-thu'rai in Mayiliddi

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Some related place names:

Ka'ndu:

Mathurang-ka'nduth-thu'rai: The ferry point or ghat at the part of Terminalia arjuna trees; Verukal division, Trincomalee district

Mathurang-ka'ndadich-cheanai: The shifting cultivation field at the part of Terminalia arjuna trees; this is a locality in Nediya-madu, Ma'nmunai West division, Batticaloa district. (One Inch Sheet)

Pu'liyang-ka'ndu: The part of tamarind trees; this is a locality, where there is a temple called Pu'liyang-ka'ndu-pi'l'laiyaar in Aanaikkoaddai, Valikaamam South West division, Jaffna district. (Source: Hindu Affairs Ministry temple registry)

Pu'liyang-ka'ndadi: The locality of the part of tamarind trees; this is a locality name in Kokkuvil, Nalloor division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 105)

Panang-ka'ndadich-cheanai: The shifting cultivation field in the part of palmyra palms; this is a locality near Karadip-pooval, Ma'nmunai West division, Batticaloa district (One Inch Sheet)

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Aal:

Aaladi: The locality of a banyan tree; Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district

Chinna-aaladi: The locality of a smaller banyan tree compared to another bigger one in the neighbourhood; this is a locality name in Kaarainakar Island, Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district

Aalang-ku'lam: The tank identified by a banyan tree or trees; Thu'nukkaay division, Mullaiththeevu district; Karaithu'raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district; Musali division, Mannaar district; Addaa'laichcheanai division, Ampaa'rai district

Gnaani Aalang-ku'lam: The banyan tree tank associated with a mystic; Mannaar Town division, Mannaar district

Thuppaasi Aalang-ku'lam: The banyan tree tank associated with a translation official of the colonial times; Mannaar Town division, Mannaar district

Muththiraipa'ri Aalang-ku'lam: The tank identified by a banyan tree where stamping (on goods after payment of tax) was taking place; Musali division, Mannaar district

Periya Aalang-ku'lam; The big tank identified by a banyan tree or trees; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Pa'raiyan Aalang-ku'lam: The banyan tree tank identified with a member of the drummer community; Vengalachcheddiku'lam division, Vavuniyaa district

Piraama'nan Aalang-ku'lam: The banyan tree tank identified with a Brahmin; Venkalach Cheddi Ku'lam division, Vavuniyaa district; Oddusuddaan division, Mullaiththeevu district

Aaladik-ku'lam: The tank in the locality of a banyan tree; Karaithu'raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Aalang-kea'ni: The constructed pond identified by a banyan tree; Poonakari division, Ki'linochchi district; Ki'n'nyaa division, Trincomalee district

Aalang-ku'laththuch-choalai: The grove of the banyan tree tank; Kuchchaveli division, Trincomalee district

Aalang-kulama: Sinhalicised from Aalang-ku'lam: The tank identified by a banyan tree; Anamaduwa division, Puththa'lam district

First published: Friday, 16 January 2015, 15:34