Know the Etymology: 421
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 18 October 2015

Hela-gama,
Berali-hela

ஹெலக₃ம, பெரலிஹெல
Helagama, Beralihela

Hela+gama
Berali+hela

The hill village

The hill found with Beraliya trees

Hela

hillock, declivity (Sinhala, Clough); Hel: hill, mountain (Sinhala, Sorata); Sela: hill, mountain (Sinhala, Clough); Sel: rock (Gala), hill (Sinhala, Sorata); Chilampu: hill, hillside (Tamil, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 22: 2-3; Perumpaa'naattuppadai, 330); Chilampan: a person of the hill tract (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 362: 6-7); S'aila: made of stone, rocky, rock, hill (Sanskrit, CDIAL 12616); Seala: rocky, rock (Pali, CDIAL 12616); collection of stones (Prakrit, CDIAL 12616), See column on Pussælla.

Berali

Beraliya: a tree peculiar to the island, bearing winged capsule seeds that are edible, Doona cordifolia, Shorea cordifolia (Sinhala); Viraali: a shrub bearing winged capsule seeds, Jamaica switch sorrel, Dodonaea viscosa (Tamil, DED 5410A); Viral: finger, toe (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 5409); Beralu, Birelu: finger, toe (Tulu, DED 5409); Viri: (verb) to expand, spread out, open, unfold, be loosened, split (Tamil, DED 5411); Virala: delicate, thin but with interstices, loose, apart, wide, separated by an interval (Sinhala)

Hela and Sela in Sinhala (H/ S interchange), meaning a hillock, hill, mountain or rock, are cognates of S'aila in Sanskrit and Seala in Pali/ Prakrit (CDIAL 12616).

A related cognate Chilampu, meaning a hill or hillside, could be found in the diction of early Tamil literature too (Ku'runthokai, 22: 2-3). Also, Chilampan in Changkam Tamil literature means a person of the hill tract (Ku'runthokai, 362: 6-7)

Sinhala place names having the Hela suffix could be commonly noticed in the southeast part of the island where rocky hillocks are found. See column on Pussælla for Sela related place names.

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Beraliya in Sinhala is a tree that is endemic to the island. It is botanically identified as Doona cordifilia or Shorea cordifolia.

The tree bears winged capsule seeds that are edible.

The name Beraliya seems to have come from the winged attribute of the seed, as the wings resemble fingers or toes. A similar seed-bearing shrub Dodonaea viscosa is called Viraali in Tamil (DED 5410A).

The etymology of both Beraliya and Viraali could possibly be related to Viral, meaning finger or toe in Tamil (DED 5409), and Beralu/ Birelu meaning the same in Tulu.

The root Viri in Tamil (DED 5411) means unfolding, spreading or loosening as fingers of the palm and the term Virala in Sinhala has similar shades of meaning.

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Hela-gama is a village in Walapane division of Nuwara Eliya district.

Berali-hela, also written as Beraliya-hela (One Inch Sheet), is a place in Lunugamvehera division of Hambantota district.

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Some related place names:

Hela:

Maara-hela: The demon hill; Akurana division, Kandy district. Maara = Maarayaa: chief of demons (Sinhala); Maara: also means death, obstruction, half (Sinhala); Maara: = Maara-gaha: Attana, the shrub thorn apple, Datura fastuosa (Sinhala), as in Maara-gaha-de'niya (Palindunuwara, Kalutara), Maara-gaha-wæwa (Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura), Maara-gaha-heana (Medagoda, Hampantota, Matara One Inch Sheet), Maara-pola (Minuwangoda, Gampaha), Maara-kanda (Nagoda, Galle), Maara-goda (Athuraliya, Matara; Malmbada, Matara), Maara-landa (Mawathagama, Kurunegala), Maara-wila (Mahawewa, Puththa'lam), Maara-pana (Pelmadulla, Ratnapura), Maara-gala (Godakawela, Ratnapura); also, Maaraawa (Moneragala, Moneragala), Maaraa-vita (Narammala, Kurunegala), Maaraa-gama (Maspotha, Kurunegala).

Mora-hela: The hill of Mora trees; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district; Meegahakivula division, Badulla district; Imbulpe division, Ratnapura district

Gorædi-hela: Probably, the rugged hill; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district. Korahædi, Korasædi: rough, rugged, hard, severe (Sinhala); Karadu: roughness; Karaddu: rugged (Tamil, DED 1265)

Weera-hela: The hill of Weera trees; Thissamaharama division, Hambantota district

Hela-gam-pura: The hill village; Damana division, Ampaa'rai district

Ka'na-hela: The pointed hill; Passara division, Badulla district. Ka'na = Ka'nuwa (Sorata); Ka'na = Ko'na (Sorata)

Helayal-kumbura: probably, Hela-yaal-kumbura: The Yala season paddy field in the hill; Welimada division, Badulla district

Konta-hela: The spear-like hill; Bandarawela division, Badula district. Konta =Kunta (Sorata); spear, lance, etc; Also, Konta = Doalaakurupaawa (spoken Sinhala, Sorata)

Hela Kaduru-gamuwa: The hill part of Kaduru-gamuwa village; Haputale division, Badulla district

Hela-mulla: The hill corner; Siyambalanduwa division, Mineragala district

Guru-hela: The red-chalk hill; Siyambalanduwa division, Moneragala district; Moneragala division, Moneragala district

Hela-uda-kanda: The upper hill; Kolonna division, Ratnapura district

Pe'ni-hela: The hill to get treacle (probably from jaggery palm); Warakapola division, Kegalle district. Pe'ni = Pæ'ni (Sorata): treacle, syrup, juice, sweetness, spume of coconut toddy (Sinhala); Paa'nitha-vaa'nikan: trader in treacle, jaggery etc. (Tamil Brahmi inscription, c. 1st century BCE, Azhakar Malai, I. Mahadevan, 2003, p. 376); Paa'ni: molasses, treacle, toddy (Tamil, MTL): Phaa'nita: inspissated juice of sugarcane and other plants (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9070); sugarcane juice (Pali, CDIAL 9070); Phaa'nia: molasses (Prakrit, CDIAL 9070)

Wæli-hela-thænna: The place of the sandy hill; Yatiyanthota division, Kegalle district

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Beraliya:

Beraliya-do'la: The hill brook found with Beraliya trees; Bope-Poddala division, Galle district

Beraliya-pola: The open place of Beraliya trees; Uva Paranagama division, Badulla district

Bera'liya-pola: The open place found with Beraliya trees; Siyambalanduwa division, Moneragala district

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Viraali:

Viraali: The (place of) Viraali tress; Karaithu'raippttu division, Mullaiththeevu district

First published: Sunday, 18 October 2015, 21:45