Know the Etymology: 428
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Habara-kada, Wæli-kada

ஹப₃ரகட₃, வெ[æ]லிகட₃
Habara-kaḍa,
Wæli-kaḍa

Habara+kada
Wæli+kada

The forest of Wæddas (hunters) or the forest of Habara trees

The sandy piece of land

Kada1	forest, “Vanaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Kadam, Kada'ru: forest, jungle, hard or difficult path (Tamil, DED 1438, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 174: 1-4; 209: 4-5); Kaadu: forest, jungle, desert, paddy field as in Vayat-kaadu (Tamil, DED 1438); Kaadu: treeless alkaline stretch (spoken Sinhala, Sorata). See column on Naabirittan-kadawara
Kada2	piece, part, fragment (Sinhala, Clough); piece, slice, “Kæbælla”; part, half, “Ardhaya”; cut, “Kædunu” (Sinhala, Sorata); Kha'nda: broken, crippled, fragment (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3792); broken (usually of teeth), piece (Pali, CDIAL 3792); Kada, Kati: a cut, portion cut off, chip, bit (Kannada, DED 1125); Kadisu: (verb) to cause to cut (Kannada, DED 1125); Kadi: small fragment, bit (Tulu, DED 1125); Kadupuni: to cut (Tulu, DED 1125); Kadi: (verb) to cut away, to cut into pieces (Tamil, DED 1125); Kadikai: a piece cut off (Tamil, DED 1125, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 267: 2-4); Kadanawaa: to break or cut (Sinhala); Kadu: sword (Sinhala); Kadaakanawaa: (verb) to peck or nibble at (Sinhala); Kadi: (verb) to bite, bite off, gnaw, nibble (Tamil, DED 1124)
Kada3	passage, way, path, road, “Maargaya”; subterranean passage, “Umaga”, entrance, “Doratuwa” (Sinhala, Sorata); Kada: (verb) to pass through, traverse, cross, transgress, go, proceed (Tamil, DED 1109); Kadavu: way, path (Tamil, DED 1109); Kadavai: way, passing over (Tamil, DED 1109, Eezham Tamil place names); Kadai: end, limit, boundary, entrance, gate (Tamil, DED 1109); Kada-ima: limit, boundary, frontier (Sinhala); Kadawata: entrance to a city, post or station at the boundary, gravet (Sinhala); Kada-thota: ferry to cross on the way (Sinhala, Sorata). See column on Waahalkada.
Kada4	small shop (Sinhala, Sorata); Kadaya: shop, bazaar, elevated place or terrace in front of a house where articles are exposed for sale (Sinhala, Clough); Kadai: shop, bazaar, market (Tamil, DED 1142). See column on Kade-weediya.
Habara1	= Sabara: hunter (Sinhala); the aborigine tribe of hunters in the island, “Wædda”, (Sinhala, Sorata); snake catcher (Sinhala, Sorata); Sabara-kada: forest lived by hunters, “Væddan sitina vanaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Sabara: a wild mountain tribe in the Deccan (Sanskrit, CDIAL 12296); Savara: an aboriginal tribe (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 12296); Sawara: barbarian (Sinhala); Cagnca, Cagncu: equated to Sabara (Kannada, DED 2291); Chavarar: a hunting tribe of archers (Tamil, Perungkathai, 55: 68); a general term for the hunting tribes and their leaders of the arid tract (Tamil, Thivaakaram lexicon)
Habara2	= Sabara: a mangrove tree of hairy flowers, Diya-midella, Seaside Indian Oak, Powder-puff Mangrove, Barringtonia racemosa (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); another tree, Lu'nuvara'na, Crataeva roxburgii, bearing bunches of flowers with long filaments (Sinhala, Sorata); 1. Chavar: brackishness (Tamil, DED 2386); Sawara, Sambara: water (Sinhala); 2. Hawariya: (singular), Hawari: (plural) tress of false hair worn by women, the tuft of a bullock's tail (Sinhala); Kavari: flywhisk (Tamil, DED 1327, the word has come from the hair of Kavari-maan, a kind of deer now extinct, Pu'ranaa:noo'ru, 132: 4; Thirukku'ra'l, 97: 9); hair plait, woman with fine hair, flywhisk, yak (Malayalam, DED 1327); Kabari: braid of hair, knot of braided hair (Kannada, DED 1327); tufted hair of females (Tulu, DED 1327); Camara: yak (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 4677); Chavari, Chavuri: false hair worn by women, equated to Kavari (Tamil, Pingkalam lexicon, 8: 186); Savari: = Hawari (Sinhala, Sorata);
Habara3	= Sabara: beehive (Sinhala, Sorata); etymology either related to Habara 1 or; Sabara, Sambara: collection, multitude (Sinhala, Sorata; Sambhaara, Sanskrit, CDIAL 12966)
Habara4	= Sabara: a flat river fish, “Petiyaa” (Sinhala, Sorata); probably from its eel like appearance, etymology possibly related to Habara 2.
Habarala	also Habara'la: a plant of edible yam that grows in freshwater marshes, Colocasia antiquorum (Sinhala); = Sabara'la: Colocasia antiquorum, also the plant Alocasia macrorrhizos (Sinhala); Haburu: =Sabara'la: (Sinhala, Clough); 1. Etymology probably related to its consumption by the hunter-gatherer tribe, Habara+ala; or 2. Cheampu: (pronounced Seambu) Colocasia antiquorum (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 2004, often referred to in the context of its use by hill tribes, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 76: 3; Kaliththokai, 41: 2); 3. Kavari (see Habara 2) also was compared to the ear of an elephant and thus a fan/ flywhisk (Tamil, Changkam diction, Paripaadal 19: 85-86)

The word Kada has different meanings in Sinhala, coming from different etyma. Meanings belonging to at least four basic groups of etyma could be found in the Sinhala place names.

The first meaning for the word Kada, given by Sorata Thera's Sinhala dictionary, is Vanaya, i.e., forest. The etymology obviously is Dravidian, finding cognates such as Kadam, Kada'ru, Kaadu etc., in Tamil, meaning forest and corresponding cognates existing in many Dravidian languages (DED 1438).

Another meaning for Kada that is widely found in the Sinhala usages of today is a piece, fragment or part, including of land. A piece of cloth is also called by this term. The verb etymais related to cut and Kadu means sword in Sinhala.

The etymology could be traced to Kha'nda in Sanskrit and Pali, meaning, fragment, broken (usually of teeth) and a piece (CDIAL 3792). But closer etymological parallels could be found in Dravidian (DED 1125).

Kada and Kati meaning a cut, a portion cut off, a small fragment etc., in Kannada and Tulu, and the old Tamil usages, Kadi and Kadikai as verb and noun, respectively meaning to cut into pieces and a piece thus cut off, are more relevant cognates. They could be traced to the verb etyma Kadi, meaning to bite in Tamil (DED 1124) and to related verb formations in Sinhala (see box Kada 2).

The third and fourth groups of meanings for Kada in Sinhala are related to passage, entrance and a shop. See earlier columns for their Dravidian etymology (DED 1109, 1142) and place name examples.

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The word Habara, as found used in some Sinhala place names, is a variation of Sabara and it means hunters or the Wæddas, the aborigine tribe of the island.

For Sabara-kada (or Habara-kada), Sorata says that it means a forest inhabited by Wæddas (“Wæddan sitina vanaya”).

Sanskrit literature identifies Sabara as a wild mountain tribe in the Deccan. Savara means an aboriginal tribe in Pali and Prakrit (CDIAL 12296).

The term Chavarar is found used in old Tamil literature too, meaning a particular hunting tribe or standing as a general term for the hunter tribes of the arid tract.

Sabara/ Habara also means a snake catcher in Sinhala, probably related to a skill of the hunter tribe, or related to another etymology: Sarpa in Sanskrit (CDIAL 13271) or Haavu in Kannada and Tulu (DED 4085).

* * *

Chavarar as archer-hunters:

“Kavar ka'nai vaazhkkaich chavarar pu'lignar” (c. 10th century CE, Perungkathai, 55: 68)

“கவர் கணை வாழ்க்கைச் சவரர் புளிஞர்” (c. 10th century CE, பெருங்கதை, 55: 68)

Chavarar and Pu'lignar of the life of killing by arrows


“Kolaignar eyinar…chavarar…pu'li:nar…veadar…anaiyavar pothuppeyar” (c. 8th century CE, Thivaakara Nika'ndu, 2: 131)

“கொலைஞர் எயினர்…சவரர்…புளிநர்…வேடர்…அனையவர் பொதுப்பெயர்” (c. 8th century CE, திவாகர நிகண்டு, 2: 131)

Kolaignar, Eyinar…Chavarar…Pu'li:nar…Veadar are general terms (for the peoples and their leaders of the Paalai/ Arid (between the hills and the forests) tract of land

* * *

The word Habara is also used in other meanings in Sinhala place names. Two kinds of trees, bearing flowers resembling tresses of hair are also called Habara/ Sabara.

In some place names, the suffix Gaha (tree) is added to Habara to differentiate the meaning (see related place names).

The tree names seem to have come from their conspicuous flowers and they seem to be related to the Sinhala word Hawari/ Savari meaning a tress of false hair worn by women or the tuft of hair in the tail of a bullock. Cognates could be seen in Kavari/ Kabari in old Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Tulu (DED 1327), Camara in Sanskrit and Chavari in Tamil usage since c. 10th century CE (Pingkalam, 8: 186).

Habara/ Sabara in Sinhala has additional meanings such as beehive and a kind of eel-like river fish. But their presence in place names cannot be said with certainty.

Haburu, Habara'la, Habarala, Sabara'la and Sabarala are used in Sinhala to mean two species of edible yams, Colocasia antiquorum and Alocasia macrorrhizos (commonly known in English as Taro).

The Tamil/ Dravidian term Cheampu or Cheappu for the plants (DED 2004), found used since Changam times, may be taken as a cognate, since Sabarala is a phrase, Sabara+ala (the Ala part standing for yam).

In Changkam literature the plant is often mentioned in the context of the hunter-gatherers of the hilly tract. Its leaves are often compared to elephant's ears and thus to winnows or fans. See box Habara'lu.

For etymological discussions on Wæli in Sinhala meaning sand, see column, Wæli-oya.

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Habara-kada is a place in Thawalama division of Galle district. There is another Habara-kada in Homagama division of Colombo district.

Wæli-kada is found as a place name in SJ Kotte division of Colombo district; Gampaha division of Gampaha district and Hanguranketha division of Nuwara Eliya district.

* * *

Some related place names:


Kada as forest:

Para-kada-mulla: The Para tree jungle corner; Dompe division, Gampaha district

Diwula-kada: The wood apple forest; Bulathsinhala division, Kalutara district

Pilang-kada: The thicket of Pila (Nerium) plants; or the portico part; Attanagala division, Gampaha district

Kara-gas-kada: The Kara shrub jungle: Deltota division, Kandy district

Kada-dora: The forest entrance; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kada-dora-pitiya: The plain of the forest entrance; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Rikilla-gas-kada: The forest of Rikilla trees; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Ræ-kada-heana: Probably, Ræk-kada-heana: The shifting cultivation field in the protected forest; Elpitiya division, Galle district

Puswæl-kada: The jungle of Pus-wæl creepers; Imaduwa division, Galle district. Pus-wæla: A sort of hollow creeper, producing the bat-bur, Entada scandens (Sinhala)

Kada-wædduwa: Probably. The forest developed; Devinuwara division, Matara district

Æthaa-kada: The elephant forest; Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district

Kohomba-gas-kada: The Kohomba tree forest; Kahatagasdigiliya division, Anuradhapura district

Searan-kada: The jungle of Seara plants; Padiyathalawa division, Ampaa'rai district

* * *

Kada as a piece or part of land:

Maana-kada: The part on the way, wayside piece; Seethawaka division, Colombo district

Paa-mang-kada: The jungle road part; Thibirigasyaya division, Colombo district

Wæli-kada-mulla: The sandy part corner; Wattala division, Gampaha district; Attanagala division, Gampaha district

Wæli-kada-gama: The village of the sandy part; Welimada division, Badulla district

Paatha-kada: The lower part; Millaniya division, Kalutara district; Nivithigala division, Ratnapura district

Wettuma-kada: The piece of road; or the roadside piece; Kalutara division, Kautara district. Wættu: road, path (Sinhala); Vazhi: way, path, road (Tamil, DED 5297, ZH/ T change)

Boo-wæli-kada: Kandy Four Gravets division, Kandy district; Udunuwara division, Kandy district

Wala-kada: The jungle part; Palindunuwara division, Kalutara district; Ambalangoda division, Galle district; Kolonna division, Ratnapura district

Gal-kada-wela: The paddy field the rocky part; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district

Gal-kada-pathana: The grassland of the rocky part; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya District

Bora'lu-kada: The pebbly or gravelly part; Baddegama division, Galle district

Leal-kada: The soft (earth) part; Baddegama division, Galle district. Leel: = Lihil (Sinhala, Sorata)

Maapaa-kada-wæwa: The tank of the big temple or mansion part; Mahiyanganaya division, Badulla district. Maa-paa: temple, mansion, palace, “Mahaapraasaadaya” (Sinhala, Sorata), from Mahaa-paaya. Also note the place name, Maapaa-kanda: Pasbage Korale division, Kandy district

Palle-kada: The lower part; Ayagama division, Ratnapura district

Boralang-kada: The pebbly or gravelly part; Dehiovita division, Kegalle district

Maha-wæli-kada Aara: The river of the big sandy part; Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district

Uda-kada: The upper part; Kuruvita division, Ratnapura district

Ang-kada: Probably, Anga-kada: The paddy field bank part; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district

Thora'na-kada: The arched entrance piece, or the outer entrance part; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district. Tora'na: arched doorway (Sanskrit, DED 5976)

Denawaka-paathakada, Denawaka-udakada: The lower and upper parts of Denawaka; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district

* * *

Could be one of the meanings cited above:

Kadalaana: Probably, the jungle (Kada+la+aana); or the seaside place (from Kadal: sea in Tamil); Moratuwa division, Colombo district

Wæ-kada: The tank part; the tank forest; or the way to the tank; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district; Panadura division, Kalutara district; Welgama division, Matara district, Wæ: Wæwa (Sinhala, Sorata); Wea: rattan (Sinhala)

Dæl-kada: Probably, the part to cast nets (this is a riverside place near South Polgoda Lake); Millaniya division, Kaltara district

Mul-kada-kanda: The hillock at the corner piece (a river makes a corner here); or the hillock of the original forest; Millaniya division, Kalutara district

Kolæhæ-kada: The bridge piece; or the bridge entrance; Mathugama division, Kalutara district. Koloa, Kolea-athu: types of rope or log bridges (spoken Sinhala, sorata)

Seng-kada-gala: The red forest hill; Kandy Four Gravets division, Kandy district

Himbiliyaa-kada: Probably the Himbul/ Imbul tree forest; or the part for cage-fishing; Wilgamuwa division, Matale district. Himbili= Hibili

Bodhi-mal-kada: The Bo-tree hill part or forest; or the way to the Bo-tree hill; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Theli-kada: Probably, the part of Theliyaa (a river fish); Baddegama division, Galle district

Ittan-wæ-kada: The forest of the tank of Itta plants; Lunugamvehera division, Hambantota district. Itta: a plant, Heeptapleurum stellatum (Sinhala)

Hælea-kada: The swamp part or forest; Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district

Kada-dunna: Weerambugedara division, Kurunegala district

Kadambaawa: Probably, Kada+baawa: The jungle part; Maho division, Kurunegala district

Kadaha-pola: The jungle place; Narammala division, Kurunegala district

Wada-kada: The cattle-pen piece of land; or the jungle of Wada shrubs; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district. Wada: cattle-pen, sheepfold, “Gaala”, also Wadakaha/ Wadakasa plant, Acorus calamus (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata)

Waahal-kada: The entrance structure; Kebithigollewa division, Anuradhapura district

Nelu-golla-kada: The part of Nelu tree jungle; Kahatagasdigiliya division, Anuradhapura district

Waa-gollaa-kada: The part of Waa tree forest; Horowpothana division, Anuradhapura district. Waa: a tree, Cassia siamea; also Waa-gaha: a tree, Cathartocarpus rosea (Sinhala)

Kivulea-kada: The brackish part; Horowpothana division, Anuradhapura district

Kimbulaa-kada: The jungle of Kimbul plants; or the tawny piece of land; Nachchaduwa division, Anuradhapura district. Kimbul: a plant, Plumbago rosea; tawny colour (Sinhala)

Paramahan-kada: Passara division, Badulla district

Bata-kada: The western part: or the descending part; or the jungle of a small kind of bamboo; Elpatha division, Ratnapura district. Bata: west, descending, a small species of bamboo also called Bata-lee (Sinhala). Padu: setting, descending (Tamil, DED 3852); Paddam: flat piece as of bamboo (Tamil, DED 3879)

* * *

Habara:

Habara as hunters:

Habaratta-wala: The hunters' forest; Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district. Habara-atta-wala; Atta: = Ayithi (Sinhala, Sorata)

Habarattaa-wela: The hunters' paddy field; Sevanagala division, Moneragala district. See Habaratta-wala

* * *

Habara/ Habarala as a tree or plant:

Habarala-gaha-landa: The high ground of low jungle having Habarala plants or Habara trees; Kalutara division, Kalutara district. The La end could also be taken as affix to Habara.

Habara-gaha-mada: The muddy place found with Habara trees; Naula division, Matale district

Habara'lu-wæwa: The tank of Habara'la/ Habarala yam plants; Sevanagala division, Moneragala district. Habara'lu: Colocasia antiquorum; Habarala/ Sabarala: a plant Alocasia macrorhizon (Sinhala)

* * *

Could be one of the meanings cited above for Habara/ Habarala:

Habaraa-doowa: The water-surrounded place of the hunters, or of Habara trees; Habaraduwa division, Galle district

Habarawa: The place of hunters or of Habara trees; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Habara-wæwa: The tank of hunters; or the tank of Habara fish; or the tank of Habara yam/ trees; Udubaddawa division, Kurunegala district

Habara'na: The hunters' place; Palugaswewa division, Anuradhapura district

Habaru-gala: The rocky hill of hunters or Habara trees/ plants; Sevanagala division, Moneragala district

Haburu-gala: The rocky hill of hunters or Habara trees/ plants; Bentota division, Galle district

Sawara:

Sawaraana: The place of hunters, Habara trees or plants; Chilaapam division, Puththa'lam district

First published: Wednesday, 18 November 2015, 10:40