Know the Etymology: 495
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 25 August 2016

Raḷuva, Jaṁbu-raliya, Dabarẹlla, Rolava

ரளுவ, ஜம்பு₃-ரலிய, த₃ப₃ரெ[æ]ல்ல, ரொலவ
Raḷuva, Jaṁbu-raliya, Dabarẹlla, Rolava

Raḷuva
Jaṁbu+raliya
Dabarẹlla
Rolava

The grove or forest

The forest or grove of Jaṁbu trees

The slash and burn forest (for shifting cultivation)

The mature forest

Raḷu	probably a grove or forest; related to Raḷa: multitude, "Samūhaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Rẹḷa: multitude, "Raňcuva, Samūhaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Riḷu: multitude, assemblage, "Samūhaya, Rāśiya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Rallu: multitude "Raňcuva" (Sinhala, Bibilē dialect, Sorata); Rolu, Rolla: mature forest or decayed forest, "Mērệ-kẹlaya" (Sinhala, Bibilē dialect, Sorata); Rẹli: forest, a slash and burn forest as in the phrases, "Daṁba-rẹli, Daba-rẹli" (Sinhala, Sorata); Teruḷu: (verb) to assemble (Tamil, Tirunelvēli dialect, DED 3245); Teraḷu: (verb) be numerous (Kannada, DED 3245); Teraḷke: a mass, multitude (Kannada, DED 3245); Tiraḷ: (verb) to collect in large numbers, assemble, abound, become dense, grow thick (Tamil, DED 3245)
Rali	probably a grove or forest; closest cognate is Rẹli: forest, jungle, thicket; as in Daṁba-rẹli, Daba-rẹli: slash and burn forest for shifting cultivation, "Dẹvu-hēna, Hēnvala tibena kẹkilla kẹlệva" (Sinhala, Sorata)
Dabarẹlla	from Daṁba-rẹli, Daba-rẹli: slash and burn forest for shifting cultivation, "Dẹvu-hēna, Hēnvala tibena kẹkilla kẹlệva" (Sinhala, Sorata); Daṁba, Daba: from Daṁbu: slashed and burnt, "Kẹlệ kappa dẹvu hēna" (Sinhala, Sorata); Dambh, Dambhayati: to burn (CDIAL 6182); Tampi: fire pit (Telugu, DED 3115); Tīppu: scorching (Tamil, DED 3266); Tīppi: fire (Tamil, DED 3266); from Tī: (verb) to be burnt, charred, blighted; (noun) fire (Tamil, DED 3266); Rẹli: see box on Raḷu
Rola	related to Raḷa: multitude (Sinhala, Sorata); Rolu, Rolla: mature forest or decayed forest (Sinhala, Bibilē dislect, Sorata), see box on Raḷu
Jaṁbu	also Daṁba: the rose apple tree, Eugenia jambolana (Sinhala); Jaṁbu: the rose apple tree, Eugenia jambolana (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 5131)

In the context of toponymy, the Sinhala components Raḷuva, Raliya, Rẹlla and Rolava in their single or suffix usages seem to be meaning a grove, forest or collection of trees.

The terms correspond to Raḷa, Rẹḷa, Rallu and Riḷu in Sinhala meaning a multitude, and hence a grove or forest.

Rolu and Rolla in the Bibilē dialect of Sinhala mean a mature forest. Rola coming in Kurunegala district seems to be a variation of either Raḷa or Rolu.

The forest meaning could also be deduced for another related word Rẹli in the spoken Sinhala phrases, Daṁbarẹli (Daṁba-rẹli) meaning a slash and burn forest for shifting cultivation (Dẹvu-hēna) and Dabarẹli meaning a forest having a slash and burn field (Hēnvala tibena kẹkilla kẹlệva).

In meaning a multitude, the Sinhala terms may be cognates of the Dravidian verbs Teraḷu in Kannada meaning to be numerous, and Tiraḷ in Tamil meaning to collect in large numbers (DED 3245).

Some of the said Sinhala words also commonly mean a wave of the sea. In meaning a wave of the sea, the Sinhala terms Raḷa, Rẹḷa, Rẹl, Rẹlla and Rẹli, and the Maldivian words Rāḷu and Raḷo, are related to the verbs, Uraḷu in Kannada and Uralu in Telugu meaning to roll, Uruḷ in Tamil meaning to roll and the same word in Malayalam meaning a rolling wave (DED 664). There are also the verbs Rāl, Rālu, Rālucu and Riali in the Dravidian languages Telugu, Kolami, Naikri, Gondi, Konda, Manda and Kuwi, meaning to fall, knock off etc. (DED 233).

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Raḷuva is a place name noticed in Weeraketiya division of Hambantota district.

Jaṁbu-raliya is in Kesbewa division of Colombo district.

Dabarẹlla is a place in Angunukolapelessa division of Hambantota district.

Rolava is in Ambanpola division of Kurunegala district.

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Some related place names:

Raḷu:

Ẹṁba-raḷuva: Aṁba-raḷuva?: Gampaha, Gampaha. Also Ẹṁbarẹlla: a tree (Sinhala, Sorata)

Dā-raḷuva: Attanagalla, Gampaha. Dā: either related to cutting or related to beehives

Da-raḷuva: Pannala, Kurunegala. See Dā-raḷuva

Yaba-raḷuva: Biyagama, Gampaha

Bo-raluva-hēna: Niyagama, Galle

Bo-raluva: Ganewatta, Kurunegala

Bo-raluva-gē-ayina: Kolonna, Ratnapura

Bo-raḷu-kaḍa: Baddegama, Galle. Also Boraḷu-kaḍa

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Rẹlla:

Debarẹlla: Lankapura, Polonnaruwa

Nīrẹlla: Akurana, Kandy

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Raliya:

Bo-raliya-vata: or Bora-liya-vata; Gampaha, Gampaha

Badu-raliya: Palindanuwara, Kalutara

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Raḷa in the following instances seems to have come from Radala:

Raḷa-panāva-gama: The village in the service of the king or king's official; Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura

Raḷa-panāva: The (place for the) service to the king or king's official; Medirigiriya, Polonnaruwa

First published: Thursday, 25 August 2016, 17:50