Know the Etymology: 420
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 15 October 2015

Kos-gulana

கொஸ் கு₃லன
Kos-gulana

Kos+gulana

The hillside forest having jack trees

Gulan

a hillside having big trees, “Maha gas æti kandu bæævuma” (spoken Sinhala, Sabaragamuwa dialect, Sorata); 1. Kaanal: forest on the slope of a hill (Tamil, DED 1418); 2. Probably related to Golla and Kæle in Sinhala/ Kollai and Kaal in Tamil, meaning a forest or grove; 3. Kulavu: bend, curve (Tamil, DED 2136); Kolli: valley, corner (Malayalam, DED 2137)

Kos

> jack tree (Sinhala); 1. Kujje, Kurujje: an unripe fruit of the jack tree (Kannada, DED 1854); Gujje: a half ripe or tender jackfruit (Tulu, DED 1854); Kusri: pulp of a fruit (Tulu, DED 1880); Kusuri: pulp of some vegetables and fruits (Kannada, DED 1880); Gohi: pulp of fruit (Gondi, DED 2179); Koognchi: the stalk in the midst of a jackfruit (Tulu, DED 1880); Koaya: inside of fruit (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3525); Koyaa: pulp of jackfruit (Hindi, CDIAL 3525); 2. Koasa: bucket, case, cover, sheath, inner part of breadfruit (Sanskrit. CDIAL 3539). Also see column on Dik-kohu-pitiya

Gulana is a rarely found Sinhala place name component, confined to Sabaragamuwa Province of the island.

According to Sorata Nayaka Thera's Sinhala dictionary, Gulan is a spoken Sinhala word of Sabaragamuwa dialect, meaning a hillside found with big trees (Maha gas æti kandu bæævuma).

The etymology of Gulana is probably related to Kaanal in old Tamil (exchange of the last two syllables), meaning forest on the slope of a hill (DED 1418), or related to Kolli in Malayalam meaning a valley (DED 2137, probably from the root Kulaa/ Kulavu meaning a bend or curve, DED 2136). Yet another probability is the word's relationship with Golla or Kæle in Sinhala meaning a forest, which in turn are related to Kollai and Kaal meaning the same in old Tamil (DED 1418).

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Kos is a common Sinhala word for jack tree. It often comes in the Sinhala place names, especially in the wet zone, where the jack tree abundantly grows similar to its presence in the Western Ghats of South India.

Noticeable parallels for the word Kos are also found in two of the Western Ghats languages: Kujje in Kannada and Gujje in Tulu mean jackfruit. They are taken as words of Dravidian etymology (DED 1854).

Probably the terms have come from their reference to the pulp of the jackfruit as Kusri in Tulu and Kusuri in Kannada mean the pulp of a fruit (DED 1880). Koaya in Sanskrit vocabulary meaning inside of fruit (CDIAL 3525) and Koyaa in Hindi meaning pulp of jackfruit (CDIAL 3525) are probably related terms.

Another etymological probability for Kos is the Sanskrit term Koasa, meaning bucket, case, cover etc. (CDIAL 3529) – in this case, standing for the attributes of jackfruit.

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Kos-gulana is a place in Paalindanuwara division of Kalutara district.

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Some related place names:

Gulana:

Gulana-watta: The grove or garden on the hillside; Walallavita division, Kalutara district

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Kos:

Kos-gama: The village of jack trees; Seethawaka division, Colombo district; Panvila division, Kandy district; Haldummulla division, Badulla district

Kos-watta: The grove of jack trees; Seethawaka division, Colombo district; Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte division, Colombo district; Pallepola division, Matale district; Neluwa division, Galle district; Bingiriya division, Kurunegala district; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Nattandiya division, Puththa'lam district; Kalawana division, Ratnapura district

Kos-æta-de'niya: The jack tree growing valley or the jack tree forest valley; Mirigama division, Gampaha district. 1. Æta: Æta-gannawaa: to grow as trees (Sinhala); 2. Æta: = forest, “Vanaya, Ataviya” (Sinhala, Sorata)

Kos-oavita: The bottom of the hill or high ground having jack trees; Gampaha division, Gampaha district

Kos-sinna: Kos-hinna: The spur range/ bank/ plot of jack trees; Gampaha division, Gampaha district; Pathahewaheta division, Kandy district; Mawathagama division, Kurunegala district; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Kos-kanda-wala: The forest of the hill of jack trees; Attanagala division, Gampaha district

Kos-gaha-hinna: The spur range/ bank/ plot of jack trees; Galewela division, Matale district

Kos-potha: The range of jack trees; Galewela division, Matale district

Kos-golla: The grove or forest of jack trees; Pallepola division, Matale district; Ambanganga Korale division, Matale district; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Kuliyapitiya East division, Kurunegala district; Soranathota division, Badulla district

Kos-waana: The place of jack trees; Rattota division, Matale district

Kos-gaha-pathana: The grassland of jack trees; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kos-gaha-debala: Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district. Debala: two parts (Sinhala); Debala < Dewala, Dewol: shrine (Sinhala); Debala < Diwela: land granted by government in lieu of payment for services (Sinhala)

Kos-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of jack trees; Balapitiya division, Galle district; Kuruwita division, Ratnapura district

Kos-mulla: The jack-tree corner; Neluwa division, Galle district

Kos-nil-goda: The blue hill of jack trees; Pitabeddara division, Matara district

Kos-moadara: The river mouth of jack trees; Kotapola division, Matara district

Kos-gaha-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of jack trees; Beliatta division, Hambantota district

Kos-gaha-æla: The brook/ stream/ canal in the locality of jack trees; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district

Kos-heana-agaara: The dale or valley where jack trees are grown after clearing forest; Bingiriya division, Kurunegala district

Bandaara-kos-watta: The jack-tree grove of the nobleman; Panduwasnuwara division, Kurunegala district

Kos-de'niya: The valley or sloping ground of jack trees; Panduwasnuwara division, Kurunegala district

Kos-gollea-pola: The open place of the jack tree grove or forest; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Kos-heana: The field where jack trees are grown after clearing forest; Kuliyapitiya West division, Kurunegala district

Kos-waadiya: The camp in the locality of jack trees; Mahawewa division, Puththa'lam district

Kos-ka'nuwea-gama: The village of young jack trees; Welimada division, Badulla district. Ka'nu= Pæ'laya, young plant (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Ka'ndu, Kan'ru: sapling, young tree (Tamil, DED 1411)

Kos-landa: The jungle high ground found with jack trees; Haldummulla division, Badulla district

Kos-pæla-vinna: The forest where jack trees are planted or grown; Ratnapura division, Ratnapura district. Pæla: (noun) plant in general (Sinhala); Pæla-karanawaa: (verb) to plant, to cause to germinate (Sinhala); Pæ'la-wenawaa: (verb) to sprout, to shoot out, to grow, to spring up as plants (Sinhala); Pee'l: tenderness, tender ears of corn (Tamil, DED 4198); young shoot (Tamil, Changkam diction, Pingkalam, 9: 331); Peezh: youthfulness (Tamil, Thivaakaram, (8: 204); Vi'lai: to cause to grow (Tamil, DED 5437); Be'le: to grow as corn, grass or trees (Kannada, DED 5437); Mu'lai: to spring as shoots (Tamil, DED 4997);

Kos-gaha-kanda: The hill of jack trees; Deraniyagala division, Kegalle district

First published: Thursday, 15 October 2015, 22:52