Know the Etymology: 435
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 24 June 2017

Deyiyan-dara, Aran-dara, Dara-gala, Daraṇa-gama

தெ₃யியன்த₃ர, அரன்த₃ர, த₃ரகல, த₃ரணக₃ம
Deyiyan-dara, Aran-dara, Dara-gala, Daraṇa-gama

Deyiyan+dara
Aran+dara
Dara+gala
Daraṇa+gama

The deity's land

The forestland; or the forested gorge

The precipice hill; or the hill by the deep trench

The dividing village (village located between two rivers in confluence)

Dara1	ground, land (Sinhala place names); the earth (Sinhala, Clough); "Bhūmiya, Poḷova" (traced to Dharā, Sinhala, Sorata); Dharā: the earth (Sanskrit, Prakrit, CDIAL 6748, traced to the root Dhṛi related to bearing, supporting etc., Monier Williams); Dharaṇī: the earth, soil, ground (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6744); Deraṇa, Dereṇa: earth, ground (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Tera: bank or border of a river (Sinhala, Clough); shore, bank "Veraḷa" (Sinhala, Sorata traces to Tīraya); Tarāy: high ground (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Malaipaṭukaṭām, 460); Tarai: the earth (Tamil, Paripāṭal, 2: 44); 2. Taṛi, Toṛiy, Toṛey: earth, soil (Gondi, DED 3283); Toṛi: earth, soil, clay (Gondi, DED 3283);
Dara2	in place names probably from Dāra: edge, border, extremity; "Vāṭi" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Dhārā: sharp edge, rim, edge of mountain (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6793); Darād: bank, precipice (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6191, non IA origin and possible Dravidian origin are noted)
Dara3	hole in the ground, cavern, grotto, (Sinhala, Clough); cleaving, hole in the ground, cave (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6188); Tāṛ, Taṛānā: to dig (Gondi, DED 3122); Travvu: to dig, excavate, scoop, unearth, stir up (Telugu, DED 3122);
Daraṇa	splitting, cleaving; ""Dāraṇaya, Pẹḷīma" (Sinhala, Sorata); Darayati: causes to split (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 6192); Tṛdati: splits open (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5925); Taṟi: (verb) to be cut off (Tamil, DED 3140); Teṟi: (verb) to split (Tamil, DED 3437);
Deyiyan	= Deviyan (Sinhala, Sorata); Deviyan: a god, deity, divine being; used in respectful singular even though the word form is in accusative plural (Sinhala, Clough); Deviyō: (plural), Devi (singular): a god, deity, divinity (Sinhala, Clough); Dēva: heavenly, a god, deity (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 6523, the root is traced to Div meaning the sky or heaven, Monier Williams); evil demon (Sanskrit, rarely applied in this meaning in Atharva Veda, CDIAL 6523, Monier Williams); Tē, Tey: deity, divinity (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 10: 646; 10: 642); Teyvam: God, deity, a deity in a tree, hill, sea, forest, city etc. (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Akanāṉūṟu, 166: 7; Kuṟuntokai, 89: 5-6; Akanāṉūṟu, 309: 4; Kalittokai, 39: 26; 16: 19); Teyyam: a folk ritual in which a deity is represented by a dancer (Malayalam, Tulu)
Aran	forest, from Araṇa, Araṇyaya (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 499 for etymology and other examples
Gala	hill in this context, see column 46
Gama	village, see column 36

The term Dara is used in different shades of meanings in Sinhala place names. See the boxes above and the related place names.

Deyiyan means deity in general in Sinhala. Deviyan is an equal term. It is always used in singular and in reverence, even though the word form is accusative plural.

Buddhism doesn't say anything on supreme God, but various deities are recognized in practice and Deyiyanē is a common exclamation heard in Sinhala to express grief or shock, similar to Kaṭavulē in Tamil.

Deyiyan is a cognate of Dēva meaning heavenly or a god in Rig Vedic Sanskrit, and sometimes applied to mean a devil in Atharva Vedic Sanskrit (CDIAL 6523).

Tē, Tey and Teyvam are the cognates in Tamil. The usage of Teyvam is noticed since Caṅkam times. See box for the term in Early Tamil meaning God as well as any animistic spirit. Also compare the word forms Deyiyan in Sinhala, Tey/ Teyvam in Tamil and Teyyam in Malayalam/ Tulu.

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The word-form Tey in Tamil:

"தெய் என் கிளவி கோறலும் தெய்வமும்" (பிங்கலம், 10: 642)

"Tey eṉ kiḷavi kōṟalum teyvamum" (Piṅkalam, 10: 642)

The word Tey means killing as well as a god/ God [The former meaning is related to another etymon, Tēy, DED 3458; or Tev/ Tevvu/ Tēvu, DED 3407]

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Deyiyan-dara is noticed as a place name in Mulatiyana division of Matara district and in Baddegama division of Galle district.

Aran-dara is in Galigamuwa division of Kegalle district. A river flows through a forested gorge at this place.

Dara-gala is a place in Uva Paranagama division of Badulla district. The place is a hill precipice and ditch-ground near Welimada town. The precipice is the boundary between Welimada and Uva Paranagama divisions.

Daraṇa-gama is in Biyagama division of Gampaha district. The place is a high ground at the confluence of two streams

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Some related place names:

Bōkun-dara: Kesbewa, Colombo. The place is adjacent to a creek of the Bolgoda Lake, and a stream that joins it. 1. Boku/ Bokka gulf, creek (Sinhala, Clough); 2. Bōkku: a gutter or underground tunnel that allow water to pass under a road etc., a hole-passage made in a wall (Sinhala, Sorata; Clough traces the word to Dutch, meaning arch); Po, Poku: (verb) to make a hole (Tamil, DED 4452); Pōkku: (verb) to cause to pass; (noun) passage (Tamil, DED 4572); see column 406

Baṭu-van-dara: Kesbewa, Colombo. Baṭu: a plant; Baṭa: a kind of bamboo; Van: jungle

Lin-dara: Mirigama, Gampaha. Lin: well

Giri-dara: Dompe, Gampaha. The place is a mound amidst paddy fields. Giri: hill, venerable (Sinhala, Clough)

Gan-darā-vatta: Matara Four Gravets, Matara. The place borders a river; Gaň: river

Gan-dara: Devinuwara, Matara. Gandara is a coastal village having a cove and beach. A small stream enters into the sea in the adjacent cove.

Bō-dara-kanda: Dickwella, Matara. The place is a hill

Dara-miṭi-pola: Ibbagamuwa, Kurunegala

Kana-darā: Kahatagasdigiliya, Anuradhapura

Maha-Kana-darāva: Kahatagasdigiliya, Anuradhapura

Saṅgili-Kaṇa-darāva: Rambewa, Anuradhapura

Pẹhiṇi-pẹddara: Aranayaka, Kegalle. Pẹhiṇi+pẹta+dara? Decayed or abandoned side land?; Pẹhuṇu: "Prahīṇa kaḷa"

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Deyiyan:

Deyiyan-vala: Aranayaka, Kegalle. Vala: forest

Deyiyannē-vela: Kandy Four Gravets, Kandy. Vela: paddy field

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Daraṇa:

Deraṇiya-gala: Deraniyagala, Kegalle. A rocky hill of this place stands between two streams at their confluence; Gala: rocky hill in this case: Deraṇiya: = Daraṇa, Dāraṇa: splitting

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Revised: Saturday, 24 June 2017, 18:30

First published: Tuesday, 29 December 2015, 13:29