Know the Etymology: 467
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 01 April 2016

Waraa-dala, Erukkalam-piddi

வராத₃ல, எருக்கலம்பிட்டி
Varā-dala, Erukkalam-piṭṭi

Waraa+dala
Erukkalam+piddi

The part of land having Waraa shrubs or the part of land having Waraa cereal crop

The raised ground having Erukkalai shrubs

Dala	half, part, portion, division, cutting, tearing (Sinhala, Clough); “Ardhaya, Angs'aya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Dalana: “Pæ'leema” splitting (Sinhala, Sorata); Dala: piece split off, fragment, a half (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6213); piece (Prakrit, CDIAL 6213); Da'lea: patch of ground (Marathi, CDIAL 6213); Dal: (verb) split (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6211); Tha'ri: (verb) to be cut off, to cut off, chop off (Tamil, DED 3140)
Waraa1	a common shrub, Calotropis gigantea or Asclepias gigantea (Sinhala, Clough); “Arka nam gas jaatiya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Arka: Calotropis gigantea (Sanskrit CDIAL 625); Erukku: Calotropis gigantea (Tamil, DED 814)
Waraa2	a kind of cereal of the grass family, “tr'nadhaanya vis'eshayak” (Sinhala Sorata); Waraa-deri: a grain called Waraka or Woraka; “Waraka woraka nam dhaanyaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Varaku: common millet, Paspalum scrobiculatum, poor man's millet, Paspalum crusgalli (Tamil, DED 5260, Ku'runthokai, 220: 1); a grass, Panicum. (Malayalam DED 5260); Varaka: a kind of inferior grain (Sanskrit, DED 5260); a kind of rice (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11311, only in lexicons)
Erukku	also Erukkam: Calotropis gigantea, swallow-wort, manure leaf (Tamil, DED 814, Ku'runthokai, 17: 1-2, Pu'ra:naanoo'ru, 106: 2-3); Erukkalai: = Erukku (Eezham Tamil); 1. as the shrub is of manure value, probably related to Eru: manure, excrement (Tamil, DED 813); rubbish (Tamil, Ku'runthokai, 46: 2-3); Eruku: (verb) to have loose motions as in cattle (Tamil, DED 813); 2. as its milk is poisonous, probably related to Erukku: (verb) to kill (Tamil, Aka:naanoo'ru, 57: 16); 3. Arka: Calotropis gigantea, also flash, ray, sun (Sanskrit, CDIAL 624, 625)

The component Dala, when comes as suffix in Sinhala place names, means a part, portion or division. The word also means cutting or tearing and corresponds to Dala in Sanskrit, meaning a fragment, a half etc. It means a piece in Prakrit (CDIAL 6213). The root word Dal in Sanskrit means to split (CDIAL 6211). The Dravidian parallel is perhaps Tha'ri meaning to cut off (DED 3140).

In toponymic context, the Sinhala word Waraa largely means a common shrub called swallow-wort. The botanical terms are Calotropis gigantea or Asclepias gigantea.

The same shrub is called Erukku, Erukkam and Erukkalai in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 814). The Tamil terms are probably related either to the manure value of the Shrub (Eru) or to the poisonous nature of its milk (Erukku). The Sanskrit term Arka for the shrub (CDIAL 625) may or may not be related to Erukku. The Sinhala term Waraa seems to be unrelated to both Erukku and Arka.

In meaning a cereal crop, Waraa in Sinhala corresponds to Varaku in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5260), meaning the common millet and the poor man's millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum and Paspalum crusgalli). The Sankrit term Varaka for a kind of inferior grain is found only in the lexicons (CDIAL 11311), while the Tamil term is of common use and was found used in the Changkam literature.

See earlier columns for the meaning and etymology of Piddi.

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Waraa-dala is a place in Divulapitiya division of Gampaha district.

Erukkalam-piddi is in Mannaar Town division of Mannaar district.

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Some related place names:

Kæku'lan-dala: The part of Kæku'na trees; Agalawatta division, Kalutara district. Kæku'la: = Kæku'na-gasa (Sinhala, Sorata)

Mi-dalana: The part of Mee trees; or Midulana: The front yard; Palindanuwara division, Kalutara district. Mi: Meegasa (Sinhala, Sorata)

Hiya-dala: also Hiyandala: The part of Hiya creepers; Thumpane division, Kandy district. Hiya: Wæl-jaathiyak (Sinhala, Sorata)

Kiri-wan-dala: The part of white hue; or the auspicious part; or the part designed as 4 Amu'na sowing capacity paddy field beds; or the part of Kiri forest; Seethawaka division, Colombo district. Kiri: white, milk, a plant, Clinsene coracana (Sinhala, Clough); auspicious, “S'ree” as in Kiri-vanta: = S'reemat: (Sinhala, Sorata); paddy field beds, each of the capacity to sow 4 Amu'nas of paddy (Sinhala, Sorata). Compare the place name, Kaha-wan-dala

Kaha-wan-dala: The part of yellow hue; or the part of Kaha tree forest; Mawanella division, Kegalle district

Maa-bo-dala: The part of the big Bo tree; or probably, Maa-boda-la: The big Bodhi tree; Minuwangoda division, Gampaha district. La is a usual affix in Sinhala

Hæn-dala: Probably, Hean-dala, Hænda+la, or Hændi-dala; Wattala division, Gampaha district. Hænda: seat to lie down, bed; Hændi: government servant, “Rajaseavakayek” (Sinhala Sorata)

Goa-vin-dala: Probably, Goa-vinna-dala: The part to gain or place cattle; or Goa-vinda-la; The place to have cattle; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district. Note place names, Goa-vinna, Goa-vindu-pura. Vin: = Vinda: Vindinawaa: to have, possess (Sinhala); Vinna: gained, obtained, fixed, placed (Sinhala)

Gallan-dala: The rocky part; Thawalama division, Galle district

Kirin-dalaa-heana: Probably. Kirindi-dalaa-hæna; The shifting cultivation field in the Kirindi grass part; Baddegama division, Galle district

Kæ-dala: Probably, Kea-dala: The paddy field part; or the screw pine part; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district. Kea: Keta, paddy field; Ketakee, screw pine (Sinhala, Sorata)

Poad-dala: Probably a part or place for observing religious rituals related to Pohoya; Bope-Poddala division, Galle district. Poa: Pohoya; Poadaa: Uposatha dinaya (Sinhala, Sorata)

Bun-dala: The eroded part, broken part or fractured part; Hambantota division, Hambantota district. The place is an eroded coast having a cliff. Bun: 1. eaten, broken, fractured, torn (Sinhala); “Bindunu” (Sinhala, Sorata); Bhinna: split, broken (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9498); 2. eroded, dug, “Hææroo” (Sinhala, Sorata); 3. bent, “Vakutu” (Sinhala, Sorata); Bhugna: bent, crooked (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9522)

Mukud-dala: The front part; Galigamuwa division, Kegalle district. Muku: = Muk; = Muka, Mukha (Sinhala, Sorata)

Wæn-dala: Probably, Wen-dala; The forest part; or the separated part; Ruwanwella division, Kegalle district. Wen: grove, forest (Sinhala); (adjective) separated, severed, disunited (Sinhala)

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Dala as prefix meaning water, glittering or heap:

Dala-wælla: The sandbank of the waters; or the glittering beach; or the beach of heaps; Habaraduwa division, Galle district. Wælla: seashore, sandbank, saddy place (Sinhala); Dala 1. water (Sinhala); Jala: water (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 5155, no support in NIA noted); probably from onomatopoeia, Cala-cala (DED 2366), Jalugu (DED 2373), Callu (DED 2384); Dala 2: also Dula: glittering, shining, effulgent (Sinhala); Jhal: flash (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5352); Thu'langku, Thulangku: (verb) to shine, glitter (Tamil, DED 3360); Dala 3: lump, clump, heap (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5536);

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Waraa as the shrub Calotropis gigantea or as the cereal crop called Waraa:

Waraa-kanatta: The Waraa shrub thicket; Kelaniya division, Gampaha district

Waraa-gas-hinna: The range of Waraa shrubs; Akurana division, Kandy district

Waraa-pitiya: The raised ground plain of Waraa shrubs; Beruwala division, Kalutara district; Walasmulla division, Hambantota district; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Waraa-golla: The Waraa shrub jungle; Minipe division, Kandy district

Waraa-thænna: The high plain of Waraa shrubs; Harispattuwa division, Kandy district

Æta-waraa-heana: The shifting cultivation field of grain bearing Waraa; Dambulla division, Matale district. Æta-waraa: a kind of grass (Sinhala, Sorata); probably the Waraa cereal crop; Æta: hardness, bone, kernel, seed, grain of anything (Sinhala); Ashti: kernel of fruit (Sanskrit, CDIAL 955); Atthi: stone of fruit (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 955); bone (Pali, CDIAL 958); Ashthi: bone, kernel (Sanskrit, CDIAL 958); Adai: (verb) become close, compact, hard (Tamil, DED 84)

Æta-warala: Probably, the (place of) Æta-waraa; Maho division, Kurunegala district

Waraa-wæwa: The tank in the locality of Waraa shrubs; Giribawa division, Kurunegala district

Waraa-gammana: The village outskirts having Waraa shrubs or cultivated with Waraa cereal; Ambanpola division, Kurunegala district

Waraa-gama: The village that cultivates Waraa cereal or that have Waraa shrubs; Siyambalanduwa division, Moneragala district

Waraa-do'la: The hill stream running through Waraa shrubs; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district

Waraa-yaaya: The expanse of Waraa shrubs or the expanse cultivated with Waraa cereal; Godakawela division, Ratnapura district

Waraa-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of Waraa shrubs or Waraa cereal; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

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Ra'na-waraa as Cassia auriculata shrub:

Ra'na-waraa-pitiya: The raised ground plain of Ra'nwaraa shrubs; Karwalagaswewa division, Puththa'lam district. Ra'na-waraa: a shrub, the leaves of which are used as tea and the bark as a buff dye, Cassia auriculata (Sinhala; Pon-aavirai, Aavirai, Aavaarai: Tamil, DED 391)

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First published: Friday, 01 April 2016, 19:19