Know the Etymology: 433
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 09 December 2015

Hik-kaduwa, Kadu-wela

ஹிக்கடுவ, கடுவெல
Hik-kaḍuva, Kaḍu-vela

Hik+kaduwa,
Kadu+wela

The forest of Hik trees

The jungle paddy field

Kadu	forest, “(Hikkadu yanaadiyehi) Vanaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Also Kada, Kadi: forest, “Vanaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaadu: a salt land on which jungle only grows sparsely or in park fashion (Sinhala, Codrington); Kaadu: forest, jungle, desert, paddy field as in Vayal-kaadu (Tamil, DED 1438); Kadam, Kada'ru: jungle, forest, hard or difficult path in a barren terrain (Tamil, DED 1438); Kaadu: forest, jungle (Kannada, Tulu, DED 1438); forest, wilderness (Telugu, DED 1438); Kadu: forest patch cleared for cultivation, field or garden in the forest (Irula, Paalu Kuruba, DED 1438); Kadi: jungle (Kodagu, DED 1438)
Hik	A timber tree yielding medicinal gum; Odina woodier/ Odina wodier of the Anacardiaceæ family, Indian Ash Tree (Sinhala); Uthi, Othi, Othiya-maram: Odina wodier (Tamil, DED 614); Udi: Odina wodier (Kannada, DED 614);Jingi'nee, Jeevala: Odina wodier (Sanskrit, CDIAL 14518)
Wela	(singular), Wel: (plural) paddy field (Sinhala); Veali: paddy field (Tamil, Changkam diction, from Veali: fence, hedge, DED 5538). See columns on Bandarawela, Achchu-veali and Kangku-veali

The word Kadu/ Kaduwa in Sinhala, in the context of place names, mostly seems to mean a forest.

Forest is one of the meanings for the word Kadu in Sinhala, according to Sorata Thera's Sinhala dictionary. Related words, Kada and Kadi also mean a forest (Sorata).

A look at the Sinhala place names having the component Kaduwa at the suffix and Kadu at the prefix would show that forest is the most appropriate meaning.

Kadu/ Kaduwa meaning a forest in Sinhala corresponds to Kaadu, Kadam and Kada'ru meaning a forest in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1438).

Kaadu in Sinhala itself means a salt land on which jungle only grows sparsely or in park fashion (Codrington, Sorata). In this shade of meaning, Kaadu in Sinhala is comparable to the same word in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning a desert and Kadam/ Kada'ru meaning a jungle as well as a difficult path in a barren terrain (DED 1438)

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Hik is the Sinhala name of a timber tree found in the island. The hard wood of it has many uses including in making pounding pestles and oil presses. The tree also yields gum. In Tamil, the tree is called Othi or Othiya-maram. It is Udi in Telugu and Jinginee or Jeevala in Sanskrit. The botanical term is Odina wodier.

See earlier columns Bandarawela, Achchu-veali and Kangku-veali for Wela in Sinhala meaning a paddy field and the word corresponding to Veali in Tamil meaning the same.

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Hik-kaduwa is a place, as well as a divisional headquarters, in Galle district. There is another Hik-kaduwa in Goanapeenuwala division of Galle district.

Kadu-wela is a place and also a divisional headquarters by its name in Colombo district. Another Kadu-wela is found in Ukuwela division of Matale district.

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Some related place names:

Yak-kaduwa: The devil forest; Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district

Diya-kaduwa: The watery forest; Bulathsinhala division, Kalutara district

Diyan-kaduwa: The watery forest; Naula division, Matale district

Was-kaduwa: The forest of Was bamboo; or the residence forest; Kalutara division, Kalutara district. Was: Nil-u'nagasa, Bataleeya (Sinhala, Sorata)

Bala-kaduwa: The forest of Bala trees; Akurana division, Kandy district; Ukuwela division, Matale district. Bala: a tree, Nothopegia colebrookiana (Sinhala)

Giraa-kaduwa: The parrot forest; Pathadumbara division, Kandy district

Huri-kaduwa: Probably, the forest of a blood-sucking demon; Kundasale division, Kandy district.

Huri-kaduwa-madigea: The tollbooth (of the Kandyan times) at the place Huri-kaduwa; Kundasale division, Kandy district. Madi-gea: carriage department of the Kandyan kings (Sinhala, Clough); Madiga: the place to pay toll by traders entering the city, trading place (Sinhala, Sorata); Madiga: = Madugeya, Madu-gea: an open hall adjacent to the main house (Sinhala, Sorata); Madu: Ma'ndapaya (Sinhala)

Kobbæ-kaduwa: The forest of Kobbæ trees; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district. Kobbææ: Allophylus cobbe

Kænda-kaduwa: The forest of Kænda trees; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district

Rathmal-kaduwa: The forest of Rathmal shrubs; Udapalatha division, Kandy district

Æl-kaduwa: The forest of the stream; Ukuwela division, Matale district

Æl-kaduwa Watta: The garden or grove at Æl-kaduwa; Ukuwela division, Matale district. See Æl-kaduwa

Hinguru-kaduwa: The forest of Hinguru creepers; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district. Hinguru: a kind of thorny creeper, “Katu sahita wæl jaatiyak” (Sinhala, Sorata); climbing prickly plant with saponaceous legumes, Acacia concinna (Sinhala, Clough); Seege: a climbing prickly shrub, the pods of which are used like soap for washing the hair etc., Acacia concinna (Kannada, DED 2607); Cheek-kaay, Cheeyak-kaay, Chikaik-kaay: soap-pod wattle, Acacia concinna (Tamil, DED 2607)

Maayaa-kaduwa: Probably, Mahayaa-kaduwa: The forest of the prince or big official; Imaduwa division, Galle district. Mahayaa: Maha-ææpaa: heir apparent to the throne, first official next to the sovereign (Sinhala)

Panaa-kaduwa: The jack tree forest; Pasgoda division, Matara district

Katta-kaduwa: The remote paddy field; Tangalle division, Hambantota district; Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district; Munthal division, Puththa'lam district. See column on Kaddaik-kaadu

Maa-kaduwaawa: The big forest; Maho division, Kurunegala district

Paana-kaduwa: Probably a forest where rituals for demons were taking place; Bamunakotuwa division, Kurunegala district, Paan: lamp; Paan-maduwa: a temporary shed erected for demon rituals in which lamps are lighted

Mal-kaduwaawa: The hill forest; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Jaya-kaduwa: Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Naawak-kaaduwa: The forest of Naaval trees; Kalpitiya division, Puththa'lam district

Wenda-kaduwa: Pallama division, Puththa'lam district. Wen: separated (Sinhala); Wendeasiya: public sale, auction (Sinhala, from Welanda); Weda: physician (Sinhala); Wænda: having worshipped (Sinhala). As the place name comes from Pallama division of Puththa'lam there could be possible Tamil connections also, Ventha: burnt (Tamil)

Kachcha-kaduwa: The forest, or the forest having an abode, or the forest of Kachcht-kodi creepers; Madampe division, Puththa'lam district. Kachchat-kodi: a creeper found in other place names (Tamil); Kachchi: forest or forest abode as found in other place names (Tamil)

Kanda-kaaduwa: The hill forest; Welikanda division, Polonnaruwa district

Thaman-kaduwa: The forest of Thaman trees; Thamankaduwa division, Polonnaruwa district

Akuru-kaduwa: Meegahakivula division, Badulla district. Akuru 1: a kind of creeper, “ Wæl-vesesak”, Hækarilla (Sinhala, Sorata); Hækarilla: a species of nightshade, Solanum verbascifolium (Sinhala, Clough); Akuru 2: small stones (Sinhala); Akuru 3: young shoots of leaves, also Da'luwa (Sinhala, Sorata)

Para-kaduwa: The forest of Para trees; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district. Para: a timber tree, Dillenia dentata (Sinhala)

Habbun-kaduwa: Probably, Hambun-kaduwa; The forest of Hambu/ Hambu-pan plants; Mawanella division, Kegalle district. Hambu: “gas jaatiyak” (Sinhala, Sorata); Hambu-pan: a plant, reed mace, Typha angutifolia (Sinhala, Clough)

Weniwælla-kaduwa: The forest of Weniwælla plants; Warakapola division, Kegalle district

Periya-kadu Nælawa: The canal of Periya-kadu (the big forest: Tamil), Ibbagamuwa division, Kurunegala district. Nælawa: Naala: tube, pipe, hollow or tubular stalk (Sinhala); Naadi: tubular stalk of any plant, tubular organ, tube (Sanskrit, CDIAL 7047). Note place names, Nælawa (genewatta, Kurunegala), Næla-ulla (Rideegama. Kurunegala), Nælawa-gama (Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura)

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Kadu as prefix:

Kadu-goda: The jungle bank/ hill/ village; Seethawaka division, Colombo district

Kadu-gannaawa: The jungle pass or the steep pass; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district

Kadu-kanna: The jungle side or the jungle end/ corner; Malimbada division, Matale district

First published: Wednesday, 09 December 2015, 23:41