Know the Etymology: 431
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 29 November 2015

Deawaale-gaawa, Wadigamang-gaawa

தே₃வாலெகா₃வ, வடிக₃மங்கா₃வ
Dēvālegāva
Vaḍigamaṅgāva

Deawaale+gaawa
Wadiga+mang+gaawa
Wadi+gamang-gaawa

The temple neighbourhood

The neighbourhood of the Telugu people's street; or the neighbourhood of the village of carpenters

Gaava	border, brim, edge (Sinhala); Gaawaa: near, next, proximate (Sinhala); = Langa (Sinhala, Sorata); 1. Etymology probably related to Langa: (adjective) near, proximate, with, together with (Sinhala). Langa > Gaa > Gaava. See column on Thani-polgaha-langa for etymology; 2. Kavavu: to embrace (Tamil, DED 1326, Ku'runthokai, 132: 1); Kavai: (verb) to include, join with, embrace (Tamil, DED 1326)
Deawaale	Also Deawaala, Dewaalayya, Deawaalaya: a temple not for Buddha (Sinhala); Deavaalaya: temple (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6542); Deavaalaa: temple (Prakrit, CDIAL 6542); Deava: deity, a god, divine being (Sinhala); heavenly, a god (Rig Veda); devil (Atharva Veda, Sanskrit, CDIAL 6523); Aalaya: house (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 1366)
Wadiga	the Telugu country, the nation speaking Telugu language (Sinhala); Vaduku: the Telugu country, which is immediately north of the Tamil country, the Telugu language (Tamil, DED 5218); Vadukar: people of the Telugu country, a caste of Telugu immigrants (Tamil, DED 5218); from Vadakku: north (Tamil, DED 5218)
Wadi	1. = Waduwaa: carpenter (Sinhala, Sorata). See Waduwaa-wala for etymology; 2. The quantity of substance used at a time in distilling oil, arrack etc. (Sinhala); Vadi: filtration, distillation (Tamil, DED 5221)
Mang	(plural), Maga: (singular) road (Sinhala); Mang-kada, Mang-peth, Mang-polu, Mang-bada: respectively, a road piece, roadside, roadside piece, road-neighbourhood (Sinhala, Sorata); Maarga: track, road (Sanskrit, CDIAL 10071); Magga: path, road (Pali, CDIAL 10071); Ma'ruku: street, narrow street, lane (Tamil, DED 4770). See column on Kændagas Mankada.

Gaawa is a place name component in Sinhala, meaning a neighbourhood or bordering place.

One etymological probability is the word's relationship with another Sinhala word Langga, meaning near or proximate (Langa > Gaa > Gaawa). In this case the word could be traced to Lagga in Pali/ Prakrit, and to Lagna in Sanskrit, meaning sticking to, touching etc. (CDIAL 10893).

Another possibility is the relationship of Gaawa with Kavai and Kavavu in old Tamil, meaning to embrace, join with, include, be attached etc. The Tamil words are traced to the verb Kavar and are listed as Dravidian (DED 1326). Usage examples could be found in early literature (Ku'runthokai, 132: 1; Chilappathikaaram, 1: 61).

“Kaathalat piriyaamal kavavuk-kai gnekizhaamal” (Chilappathikaaram, 1: 61)

“காதலற் பிரியாமல் கவவுக்-கை ஞெகிழாமல்” (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 1: 61)

Not getting separated in love and not getting loosened of the attached hands

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Deawaale in Sinhala means a temple not for Buddha, but for deities that could be Hindu, Buddhist or folk.

The word components Dea and Aale correspond to Deava meaning a god and Aalaya meaning a house in Sanskrit (CDIAL 6523 + CDIAL 1366). Interestingly, Deava meaning a god in Rig Veda, means a devil in Atharva Veda (CDIAL, 6523).

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Wadigamangaawa could be split in different meaningful ways. If it is Wadi+gamang+gaawa, it could mean the neighbourhood of the village of carpenters. Sorata's dictionary equates Wadi with Waduwaa in Sinhala. See column on Waduwaa-wala for the word meaning a carpenter and for its etymology.

If it is Wadiga+mang+gaawa, the place name could mean the neighbourhood of the street of Telugu people. Wadiga in Sinhala meaning Telugu country or people corresponds to Vaduku in Tamil meaning the same, coming from Vadakku meaning the North in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5218).

The word formation Mang-gaava is similar to Mang-kada, Mang-Polu, Mang-peth, Mang-bada etc., related to a road. See box and column on Kændagas Mankada for discussion on etymology.

In yet another possibility, Mangaawa, taken as a single word, could have been Sinhalicized from Mangalam or Mankai, meaning an endowment village (Tamil inscriptions). Note the place name coming from Aanai-madu in Puththa'lam district

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Deavaale-gaawa is a village in Ratnapura division of Ratnapura district.

Wadigamang-gaawa is a place in Anamaduwa division of Puththa'lam district.

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Some related place names:

Udang-gaawa: The high edge or the high neighbourhood; Katana division, Gampaha district; Ambanpola division, Kurunegala district. Udangu: (adjective) high (Sinhala)

Kaamarang-gaawa: The neighbourhood of the chamber; or the place/ neighbourhood of Kaamarangkaa trees; or the place having cotton-processing equipment; Mirigama division, Gampaha district. Kaamara: chamber (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); from Portuguese (Clough); Kaamarangaa: a kind of Bilimbi tree, Averrhoa carambola (Sinhala); Karmaranga: Averrhoa carambola (Sanskrit, CDIAL 2895); Kaambarangkaa: equipment to get cotton from cotton pods, “Kapu ætavalin pulun ven kara'na upakara'naya” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata)

Arang-gaawa: The edge or neighbourhood of the preserved forest; Minuwangoda division, Gampaha district. Aran: preserved wilderness (Sinhala)

Avudang-gaawa: Dambulla division, Matale district

'Linda-gaawa-heana: The shifting cultivation field at the edge or neighbourhood of the well; Kotapola division, Matara district

Karang-gaawa: Ampaa'rai division, Ampaa'rai district. Karung-gaa: dried areca nut (Sinhala); Karung-kaay; dark areca nut, not yet turned red; grain or fruit almost ripe (Tamil, MTL, DED 1281)

Kadi-gaawa: The forest neighbourhood; Rasnayakapura division, Kurunegala district; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district. Kadi: forest (Sinhala, Sorata), related to Kada, Kadu: forest (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaadu: forest (Tamil, DED 1438)

Ælla-gaawa: The neighbourhood of the waterfall or rapid; Kiriella division, Ratnapura district

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Dewaala:

Dewala-pola: The temple field; Minuwangoda division, Gampaha district

Deawaale-pola: The temple field: Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Deawaala-deniya: The temple valley; Laggala-Pallegama division, Matale district

Deawaale-gama: The service village belonging to the temple (Sinhala); Neluwa division, Galle district; Mulatiyana division, Matara district; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district; Galigamuwa division, Kegalle district. Deawaala-gama: A service village belonging to a temple (Sinhala, Sorata); A village belonging to or attached to a temple, “Deawaalayata ayath gama” (Sinhala, Sorata);

Deawaala-hida: The temple compound or the natural pond of the temple; Damana division, Ampaa'rai district. Hida 1: (Bibile dialect) yard, courtyard of a house, compound, “Midula”, (spoken Sinhala. Sorata); Hida 2: natural pond, collection of water (Sinhala); = heba (Sinhala, Sorata); Sidu: hole, lake (Sinhala); Sidura: hole, perforation, cavity (Sinhala); Chidda: hole (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 5043); Chidra: having holes (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5043).

Deawaala-goda: The temple hill/ bank/ village; Lahugala division, Ampaa'rai district

Deawaala-handiya: The temple junction; Pallama division, Puththa'lam district. Handi: junction (in place names); joint (Sinhala); = Sandhi: union, junction, joint, connection, combination, hole (Sinhala); joint, breach, hole (Pali, CDIAL 12913); Samdhi: joint (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 12913); Chanthi: joining, joint, meeting, union, combination (Tamil, MTL); junction, crossroad (Tamil, place names, Changkam diction, Thirumurukaattuppadai, 225)

Kera-Deawala: Kora-deawala: Baddegama division, Galle district. Kera: “Kora Sthriya” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Kora-sanni: a Sanni demon (spoken Sinhala, Sorata). Kora; lame (Sinhala); Kera: lame woman (Sinhala); Khoara: lame (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3941, non Indo-Aryan origin suggested); Kora: defect (Telugu, DED 1851); Koru, Koruvu: defect, deficiency (Kodagu, DED 1851); Ko’re: defect, deficiency (Kannada, DED 1851); Ku’ru: (verb) to become short, contract, shrink; (noun) short, dwarfish, defective (Tamil, DED 1851); Ku’rai: (verb) to diminish, be reduced, be defective, to lessen, shorten (Tamil, DED 1851)

Biri-dewala: Matale division, Matale district. Biri: frightening (Sinhala); Bheeru: timid (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 9516); wife (Sinhala); Firi: husband (Dhivehi/ Maldivian); Priya: beloved (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8974); Bhaaryaa: wife (Sanskrit, CDIAL)

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Wadiga:

Wadiga-wæwa: The tank of the Telugu people; Horowpothana division, Anuradhapura district; Medirigiriya division, Polonnaruwa district

First published: Sunday, 29 November 2015, 23:17