Know the Etymology: 419
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 10 October 2015

Oora'ni, Oora'niya-wæwa

ஊரணி, ஊரணியவெ[æ]வ
Ūraṇi, Ūraṇiyavæva

Oora'ni
Oor+u'ni
Oora'niya+wæwa

The drinking water tank of public use in the village

The tank that provides drinking water for the village

Oora'ni

from Ooru'ni: public drinking water tank in a village or town (Tamil, MTL, Thirukku'ral, 22: 5); Ooru'ni-ku'lam: drinking water tank (Tamil, inscription, 1014 CE, SII, ii, 5); Ooru'n'ni: = Ooru'ni (Tamil, inscription, 1139 CE, SII, xiv, 243); from Oor: village, town, city (Tamil, DED 752); U'n: (verb) to eat or drink (Tamil, DED 600); U'n-neer: drinking water (Tamil, DED 600); Oor-u'n-kea'ni: a constructed tank or pond providing drinking water to the public of a village or town (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 399: 1-2)

The Eezham Tamil toponym Oora'ni and its Sinhalicised form Oora'niya come from the standard Tamil term Ooru'ni, meaning a tank or pond of drinking water used by the public of a village or town.

Even though seldom found, the toponyms are noticed from the north to south of the island.

Ooru'ni, found used in early Tamil literature and in inscriptions, is a shortened form of Oor-u'n-neer, literally meaning 'drinking water (source) used by the public of a village or town' (DED 752+DED 600).

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Usage examples:


Ooru'ni:

“Ooru'ni neer ni'rainthattea ulakavaam peara'rivaa'lan thiru” (Thirukku'ra'l, 22:5)

“ஊருணி நீர் நிறைந்தற்றே உலகவாம் பேரறிவாளன் திரு” (திருக்குறள், 22:5)

An enlightened person's prosperity or knowledge is useful to the world like a public drinking-water tank of the village is filled with water

“Ooru'ni ku'lamung karaiyum aiyan koayilum” (1014 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, SII, ii, 5)


“ஊருணி குளமுங் கரையும் ஐயன் கோயிலும்” (1014 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, SII, ii, 5)

The tank for public drinking water use of the village, the bank of the tank and the temple of Aiyanaar


Ooru'n'ni:

“Vada ellai agnchaatha ka'ndan ooru'n'nikku thetkum” (1139 CE, SII, xiv, 243)

“வட எல்லை அஞ்சாத கண்டன் ஊருண்ணிக்கு தெற்கும்” (1139 CE, SII, xiv, 243)

The south of the drinking-water tank named after (a person) Agnchaatha-ka'ndan, is the northern boundary (of a property mentioned in the inscription)


Oor-u'n-kea'ni:

“Oor u'n kea'ni u'n thu'raith thokka paasi attea pasalai – kaathalar thoduvuzhith thoduvuzhi neengki viduvuzhi viduvuzhip paraththalaanea” (Kurunthokai, 399)

“ஊர் உண் கேணி உண் துறைத் தொக்க பாசி அற்றே பசலை – காதலர் தொடுவுழித் தொடுவுழி நீங்கி விடுவுழி விடுவுழிப் பரத்தலானே” (குறுந்தொகை, 399)

(What she said): The paleness that comes in my complexion is like the moss that floats at the water-collecting spot of the drinking water tank. It goes away every time my lover touches me and spreads back every time he leaves me

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Oora'ni is a place between Kaangkeasan-thu'rai and Mayiliddi in Valikaamam North division of Jaffna district. There is another village having the same name in Ma'nmunai North division of Batticaloa district.

Oora'niya-wæwa is a place near Kirinda, close to the seashore in the Ruhunu National Park, Thissamaharama division of Hambantota district (One Inch Sheet, Kataragama)

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Some related place names:

Oora'niya: The public drinking water tank of the village; Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district

Chinna-oora'ni: The small part of the OOra'ni village: Ma'nmunai North division, Batticaloa district

First published: Saturday, 10 October 2015, 15:38