Know the Etymology: 430
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Kænda-gas Mankada

கெ[æ]ந்தக₃ஸ் மங்கட
Kændagas Maṅkaḍa

Kænda+gas+mang+kada

The road-part or the ferry point found with Kænda trees

Mangkada

1. a part of a road or way, “Maarga kæbælla” (Sinhala, Sorata); 2. a suitable spot to get into water to ferry across, “diyata bæsa yaa hæhi totupala” (Sinhala, Sorata); 3. a spot from where jungle animals come out, “Kæ'læven satun eliyata ena tæna” (spoken Sinhala, Sabaragamu dialect, Sorata); Mang: road, way, path, shortened form of Maarga (Sinhala); Maarga: road, track (Sanskrit, CDIAL 10071); Ma'ruku: street, narrow street, lane (Tamil, DED 4770, Natti'nai, 114: 3); Kada: piece, part, fragment; passage, way, path, road, entrance (Sinhala); Kadi: to cut into pieces (Tamil, DED 1125); Kada: to pass through, cross, proceed, go (Tamil, DED 1109); Diya-mankada: a ford made of stones to cross a river on a highway, “Mahaamargayanda udin gangwathura bæsa yææma sandahaa gal allaa sæædoo tæna” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata). See Kada 2 and 3 in the column Habara-kada

Kændagas

Kænda-gaha: candlenut tree, Croton molucannum (Sinhala)

Mankada as a phrase word in Sinhala means a section of a way or a piece of land, which is a road or passage. “Maarga Kæbælla” is the first meaning given to the phrase by Sorata's Sinhala dictionary.

In such a meaning, while the prefix Mang, corresponding to Maarga in Sanskrit, stands for a way or road, the suffix Kada means a part, piece or bit of the way.

A second meaning for Mankada is a ferry point or a location to get into water to go across. In this meaning, the suffix Kada in Sinhala stands for an entrance or a crossing part in a way.

In a third meaning, found in the spoken Sinhala of Sabaragamu dialect, Mankada means a trail used by wild animals when they come out of jungle. This is probably a Wædda (hunter tribe) usage. While this meaning could be explained through the first two meanings, Maa-kadavu in Tamil literally means an animal trail (Maa: animal, beast, DED 4780). See Mankada-wala under related place names given below.

On the etymology of Mang and Maga (Magu in Maldivian) meaning a road, Maarga in Sanskrit is said to have originated from the track of wild animal (< Mrga, CDIAL 10071). However, Ma'ruku, meaning a road in Tamil and listed as Dravidian (DED 4770), seems to have come from another root, Ma'ru > Ma'ruku: a track made by repeated walking to and fro (DED 4766, Ma'ruki, verb, Ku'rignchippaaddu 97). Another possibility is the verb Maa'ru meaning, to leave, return, pass etc. (DED 4834).

For Kada in Sinhala in the above found usages corresponding to Dravidian, see Kada 2 and Kada 3 in column on Habara-kada and columns on Waahal-kada and Kadawatha

Kænda-gas is the Sinhala name for candlenut tree, Croton moluccanum. As oil is extracted from its seeds, it is also called Tel-kækuna. The name Kænda alone, without the suffix gas, means the plant, Macaranga tomentosa, according to Clough.

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Kændagas Mangkada is a place in Lunugamvehera division of Hambantota district

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Some related place names:

Paa-mankada: The grove part of road; Thimbirigasyaya division, Colombo district

Palli-mankada: The mosque part of road; Panadura division, Kalutara district

Pussala-mankada: The vacant part of road; or the Pussala (a toponym meaning a vacant place) part of the road; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kotavehera Mankada: The Kotavehera part of road; Thanamalvila division, Moneragala district

Koan-gaha Mankada: The Koan-tree part of road; Balangoda division, Ratnapura district. Koan: Ceylon Oak, producing a pleasant acid fruit, Schleichera trijuga (Sinhala); Poovam, Poovaththi: (Tamil, DED 4348)

Mankada-wala: Probably, a jungle corridor used as a passage by wild animals moving from one forest to another; Nuwaragam Palatha division, Anuradhapura district; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district

Maha-mankada-wala: The bigger part of the adjacent village Mankada-wala; or the bigger Mankada-wala in the same division (see Mankada-wala); Nuwaragam Palatha division, Anuradhapura district

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Mang/ Maga:

Maga-murea: The sentry point on the way; or the road surroundings; Kamburupitiya division, Matara district. See column, Mura-pola

Maggona: Maarga-gona: The road end; or the road corner; Beruwala division, Kalutara district

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Kænda:

Kænda-landa: Mirigama division, Gampaha district

Kænda-golla: Dompe division, Gampaha district; Ukuwela division, Matale district; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district; Alawwa division, Kurunegala district; Badulla division, Badulla district; Uva Paranagama division, Badulla district

Kænda-liyædda-paa'luwa: Mahara division, Gampaha district

Kænda-heana: Kelaniya division, Gampaha district; Alawwa division, Kurunegala district; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Kænda-gaha-wila: Beruwala division, Kalutara district

Kænda-liyadda: Pathadumbara division, Kandy district

Kænda-kaduwa: Yatinuwara division, Kandy district

Kændan-gamuwa: Galewela division, Matale district; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district

Kænda-gollaa-mada: Ukuwela division, Matale district

Kænda-kætiya: Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district; Opanayake division, Ratnapura district

Boo-kænda-yaaya: Katuwana division, Hambantota district

Kænda-wala: Ibbagamuwa division, Kurunegala district

Uda-kænda-wala: Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Dik-kænda-yaaya: Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district

Uda-kænda-golla: Welimada division, Badulla district

Kænda-vinna: Medagama division, Moneragala district

Kændaawa: Bulathkohupitiya division, Kegalle district

First published: Tuesday, 24 November 2015, 17:28