I have tried to impress upon the unintelligible nature of several place names in Tulunadu. Though accustomed to these place names in routine life and utter them frequently, we invariably use these words without knowing their exact meanings. Words could not have existed without specific meaning. Therefore, the logical deduction is that many of these strange sounding unintelligible words might be the relics of language(s) that prevailed in this land in the antiquity before Tulu language replaced them and became the popular medium of communication.
A list of some of the common quizzical village names without apparent clear meanings in Karavali/ Tulunadu is provided below for you to find the answers:
ADyaar (shallow ground?)
Ampaar
ArkuLa
Avarse
BagvaDi
Balya
Bantra
Baarya
Hebri
Herga
Gavali
IDikiDu
Inna
Irde
KaDthala
Kalanja
Kaliya
Kanyaana
Karaaya
Karje
Kemraal
Kenya
Kepu
Kervase
KoikuDe
Koila
KokkaDa
KokkarNe
KoLambe (=wet,marshy field)
Kolthige
KooveTTu
Kumbra
Kuriya
Laila
Macchina
MarNe
Mijar
Miyaar
Nanchar
Naaraavi
Naringaana
Neriya
Nettila
NiDDoDi
Nitte
NoojaDi
Noojibail
ODDarse
ODilnaaLa
Parenki (a tribal sub-group/language of Munda group)
Perabe
Pilya
PoLyaa
Puttila (=new+house)[Puth=new;Kodagu]:2.ant-hill?
Sarve
SooDa
Sullia
VanDaar
VanDse
Vogga (=1.Vaghra,tiger;2.Varga,class) [Prakrit]
Try to find the origin and meanings of these words so that they can be discussed further and understood better. Those with in depth knowledge of Koraga, Munda(la), Kota, Irava/ Irula and other older set of languages may excel in this exercise.
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A heritage blog by: Ravindra Mundkur & Hosabettu Vishwanatha
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A Coastal estuary
Holegadde near Honavar,Uttara Kannada dist, Karnataka
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Have a nice day !
I think many of them could be grouped.
ReplyDeleteFew more(as my Tulu is limited most of the names do not make much sense to me anyway!).
Aerya(Erya)
Karinja(kAriJja)
Parappale(parappale)
Kayyara (kayyAra)
Kukkadi (kukkADi)
Any thoughts on 'Mantampadi' (my ancestral settlement in Kasaragod).
Is '-vara' in Attavara, Udyavara, Brahmavara, Honnavara is localized form of 'pura'? Many Malayalis pronounce Mangalapuram as 'maGalyAvaram'.
Regarding puttila -> put + ila -> new + ? (Kodagu: puttari -> new rice).
ReplyDeleteAre some of the names frozen old-Tulu names? How can we reconstruct old-Tulu(comparable to old Kannada)?
Some of the words are deducible.Kaar+inja(=forest+habitat),para+pale(old+areca pale tree),kayy+ara(hand shaped +ground)(note analogy with Kaivara( in Kolar),Kukka+adi(Kukka = a tribal group?+ aDi short for/variant of paaDi-habitat).
ReplyDeletePuth+ila(New+house).Your observation of Kodagu word Puth shows that some precursor language supplied this word 'puth' to Tulu and Kogadu.Was it Koraga?
'Ara' is short form of 'avara'(attavara etc). Avara is ground,planar area.The word 'avarana' may have been derived from this 'avara'.
Your note on Mangalyavaram is revealing!It corresponds with my view that the name was originally based on 'the war camping(Mangala) ground(avara)'.
Kaar+inja(=forest+habitat)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Kalanja also follow the similar pattern.
Regarding, Kemral ... I see a pattern in "Kemral Attur"(or Attur Kemral in Mangalore) and "Mogral Puttur"(In Kasaragod).
If 'ila' is house thenk Koila, Laila and Nettila may from the similar pattern.
Your observation of Kodagu word Puth shows that some precursor language supplied this word 'puth' to Tulu and Kogadu.Was it Koraga?
No, it's a Dravidian word. It's observed across many branches including ND (Brahui).
It corresponds with my view that the name was originally based on 'the war camping(Mangala) ground(avara)'.
I doubt. Malaylis regularly Malayaliize Sanskrit words. In fact, this pattern is observed among Tamils too, I suppose. Kanchipuram Silk is known as Kanjivaram (probably the native pronunciation). So why not -vara in Tulu/Kannada are Dravidian form of pura? In fact, there is a place called Attapura in Hyderabad. And that made me to think Attavara in Mangalore could have been Attapura.
What about place names like:
ReplyDeleteKawDoor, kaMpAn, baNAl, doMDOLi, varvADi, deMbuge, HirgAna, Kudi, maNAyi?
Also some small hills are called "HaDaMkOLi", "hamaMja"
A small river in KawDoor village is called: "muMrgi"
Narayana Shetty
Yes, Kala+anja Ok.But what is 'Kemral' or 'Mogral'?[ 'Al' is river or water].For 'Puth' one alternate suggestion is ant-hill(Viswanath).Then 'Puth' in 'Puttur' may be the similar meaning one?Instead of the conventional ref. to flowery village-'Pootta Oor'.
ReplyDeleteWhat could be the 'La' in La+ila?
'Attavara' has been described as 'Arthapura' in Puranic lores.Attapura in Hyderabad is interesting.How come Tulunadu has Telugu names like Rayi and Manchi?
Dear Narayana
ReplyDeleteKawDoor, kaMpAn, baNAl, doMDOLi, varvADi, deMbuge, HirgAna, Kudi, maNAyi,HaDaMkOLi", "hamaMja"
"muMrgi"...
There are so many. I only gave a sampling of the unintelligible list for all of us to ponder over!
Let us pursue the issue and understand these words.
Marne is also a place near Paris.
ReplyDeleteIn PaLLi village of Karkala taluk there is "Mangaldi" maTa where a goddess is being worshiped. Now a days her guards "Varte-KalkuDe" daivas are famous than her. Also in BommarabeTTu village of Udipi taluk, guards of "basti" (basadi)"Varte-KalkuDe" are famous by name "bastida KalkuDe"
Narayana Shetty
Marne is also a place near Paris.
ReplyDeleteIn PaLLi village of Karkala taluk there is "Mangaldi" maTa where a goddess is being worshiped. Now a days her guards "Varte-KalkuDe" daivas are famous than her. Also in BommarabeTTu village of Udipi taluk, guards of "basti" (basadi)"Varte-KalkuDe" are famous by name "bastida KalkuDe"
Narayana Shetty
Kukkādi
ReplyDeleteThere is village called kukke haLLi (kan) or kukkyAli (tulu)in Udipi taluk
Kukke halli is the village named after Kukke tribes. There are several 'Kukke'- villages (one at Subramanya) and a lineage called 'Kukkian'.
ReplyDeletei am not from tulu region, but i can understand and speak little bit about tulu language, i am from coorg many peoples speaking tulu here. thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteMr Coorg,
ReplyDeleteMany of the place names all over South India are similar in trend and meaning.It possibly speaks of the commonality of the underlying culture.