Know the Etymology: 422
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Pahamune

பஹமுனே
Pahamunē

Paha+munea

The dam side or neighbouhood

The outside of the dam or sluice

Pahamu'nu1

The side or neighbourhood of a dam, “Amu'nu pasa” (Sinhala, Sorata); Amu'nu+pasa > Pasa+amu'nu > pahamu'nu; Amu'na: (singular), Amu'nu (plural): a temporary dam for irrigation, bank in a paddy field (Sinhala, Clough); Avu'na, Amu'na: water confined by dam, irrigation channel, dam, embankment (Sinhala, cited by CDIAL 1451a); Aavraa'na: dam (Sanskrit, CDIAL 1451a); Avara'na: dam (Inscriptions of Ceylon, Vol 1, Early Brahmi Inscriptions, 1199, 1215); Paha: = Pasa: side (Sinhala); Paars'va: side (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8118). See column on Arup-passa;

Pahamu'nu2

Outside of a dam or sluice, “Niyaraka hoa sorovvaka pita pæta” (Sinhala, Sorata); Paha: = Pasa: side (Sinhala); Paars'va: side (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8118); Mu'na: 1. = Muhu'na: face (Sinhala, Sorata); Mun, Munnam: in front (Tamil, DED 5020a); face (Tamil, Changkam usage); 2. = Muna: end, top, extremity, tip, point (Sinhala); Munai: front, face, point, sharpened end, edge, cape, headland (Tamil, DED 5020a)

Pahamu'nu is a phrase in Sinhala meaning the side/ neighbourhood of a dam, or outside of a dam/ sluice.

Sorata's dictionary equates the phrase to “Amu'nu-pasa,” meaning a dam-side. Amu'nu-pasa by interchange of components could become Pasa-amu'nu and Pahamu'nu.

Amu'na or Avu'na in Sinhala means a dam or embankment, and the terms are cognates of Avraa'na in Sanskrit meaning a dam (CDIAL 1451a). An early usage Avara'na in the same meaning could be found in the Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island (IC, vol I, 1199, 1215). The word Aavara'nam was used in Tamil literature too in the meanings, wall, block, cover etc. (Choo'daama'ni Lexicon 11: 246).

The component Paha is equivalent to Pasa in Sinhala (H/ S interchange), meaning a side. The terms are related to Paars'va in Sanskrit meaning the same (CDIAL 8118).

Sorata's dictionary gives a second meaning for Pahamu'nu as “Niyaraka hoa sorovvaka pita pæta,” meaning outside of a dam or sluice. Pahamu'nu, in this case could also be explained as Pasa and Mu'na, meaning the side face or side front. Mu'na coming from Muhu'na (face) or related to Muna (end) in Sinhala are of Dravidian etymology (DED 5020a)

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Pahamunea is a place in Narammala division of Kurunegala district.

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Some related place names:

Pahamu'nu:

Pita-pahamu'na: The outside or backside of the Pahamu'na village; or the outside of the dam-neighbourhood; Ibbagamuwa division, Kurunegala district

Pahamunea-gama: The village in the dam-neighbourhood; or the village at the dam-front; Nochchiyagama division, Anuradhapura district

Pahamu'nu-thota: The ferry point at the dam-neighbourhood; or the ferry point at the outside of the sluice; Hali Ela division, Badulla district

Pahamu'nu-panna: The work place at the dam-neighbourhood: or the work place at the dam-front; Kahawatta division, Ratnapura district.

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Paha/ Pasa: see column on Arup-passa for related place names

First published: Tuesday, 20 October 2015, 19:52