Toponymy, i.e. the study of place names
world-wide, contains generic terms in most of the place names. They describe invariably geographical features,
as a suffix. Elsewhere we have analysed some Tulu generic
terms, such as aal/la, ba/va/ya, bar, war, wal, kuppe, kar, kuda, kal, kod/kodu/godu,
mancha etc. in our earlier Posts.
‘Palke’ is another generic term which can be added to this list. Some of the Tulu Place Names cited below,
having ‘palke’ as a suffix, may explain the geographical significance.
Palla, Palike>Palke
It means:
1.
Dead woods
and other waste substances, drained to sea through rivers, scattered by action
of sea currents and washed ashore by waves.
’palke booruni’ is a sign of subsiding of sea from roughness
(Read our Post: 389 of 16th September). It is a marine incident witnessed in summer
monsoon after a stormy weather with rough sea.
2.
A valley,
slope, or low lying area between mountains or hills.
3.
A place
where a dead body is placed on floor.
4.
A mat (made of leaves or grass)
5.
A dead body (= ಪುಣ) itself.
One must have heard the swearing words in Tulu when one keeps things for
himself beyond ones needs or demands for more):
Daane undu ninna palkeda adik
paaderena (ದಾನೆ ಉ0ದು ನಿನ್ನ
ಪಲ್ಕೆದಡಿಕ್ ಪಾಡೆರೆನ)? It
is a custom to burn in the pyre and/or throw away things connected to the
departed soul.
6.
Base word for Palike is ‘pal or palla’ in Tulu,
Kannada and other South Indian languages.
‘Palla’ means Pit, Hole, Depth, Low ground or spot, shallow stream,
pond, ditch, hollow, etc. ‘Palike’ has
the meaning of: valley, declivity, pond and ditch (See
Dravidian Etymological Dictionary). In
Toda language also ‘pal’ means ‘valley’.
In Barakur-Kannada Palli, Balli or Pali means a long rice field. Pallamu
in Telugu means: pit, low ground, dale,
wet land and wet crop.
In Southern States (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
‘palike’ is called as ‘chakara’. A
source (now seen by the writer) tells: “A Chakara is a peculiar marine
phenomenon in which a large number of fish and prawns throng together during a
particular season as a result of mud bank formation. It is derived from (Sanskrit word) Chakra
(Disc) which has similar meaning of ‘palke’
in Tulu”.
It is seen that some stretches of a river are
deep because of eddy currents. Such area
is called Chakra Teertha. Similarly, sea currents create declivity near
shore-line, which also results in sand-banks.
Tulu Place Names
Native readers may comprehend meanings of some place names given below. These are commonly found in Tulu Nadu (now
Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts).
Manjara palke: The village
is in Karkala Taluk, Udupi. The place is also known as ‘Kedinje’ (kedu+inje = a
place with many ponds).
Aremajaalu palke: It is in
Mangaluru. We think that it is
half-terraced (ಅರೆಮಜಲು/ಅರೆಮಜಾಲು) area with ‘palke’ below.
Barry palke: It is a
hamlet in Mangaluru (See our Post: 390 – Valencia in Mangaluru). This place is popularly known as ‘Gorigudda
(Hill of burial)’ in local tongue even today.
Kocharla Palke: It
means: ‘a valley of Kochar Tribes’. It
is a place name of a hamlet in Ajekar, Belthangadi Taluk, Dakshina Kannada)
(See Post: 272/04.06.2011 - Kochar Tribes).
Chittal palke: The writer has found a reference to this
hamlet in ‘Tulu Nada Garodigala Samskritka Adhyayana, 1990’, a cultural study
of Garodi Shrines vis-a-vis Folklores related thereto, penned by Bannanje Babu
Amin and Mohan Kotian (Ref. Page-314: Thingale Garodi in Karkala Taluk). We think
that Chitteripalke (Chita+Eri) also refers to
Chitalpalke (Chita+al+palke), i.e. a locality ear-marked for crematorium or
burial as is ‘adka’ (= a barren place on the periphery/edge/boundary of a
village, i.e. a marginal place in Tulu language).
Other Sub-villages with ‘Palke‘
We have picked up following places from ‘Revenue
Villages, Hamlets and Towns of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada’:
Karkal:
Majal palke, Dadal/Dodal Palke
Dakshina Kannada: Nejaarpalke, Tailapake (Taluk ?)
Bantwal: Palike, Mada palke, Kuntala palke,
Shanti palke, Raja palke, Uppara palke, Achari palke, Gadi palke.
Belthangadi: Bejada palke. Dappada palke, Nelya palke, Kontu palke,
Kanthavara palke,
Mangalore:
Dompada palke, Murkolthu palke, Muchchara palke.
‘Palke’ in other Indian State
We have reason to believe that other Indian states must have place names
with Pal or Palke too. We shall feel
thankful if readers bring such place names to our notice.
Conclusion
It is assumed that ‘palke’ sub-villages are undeveloped or under-developed
localities in earlier days. Landscape of land is being changed or destroyed by
human actions in the name of development, which may lead to change in place
name. As an example, we may cite ‘Barry palke
or Gorigudda’ in Mangaluru, which is now an elite urban place with modern
buildings. Such changed topography may
also lead to man-made disasters. So the past
and present topography of a village may not be the same.
We may be able to add to above-mentioned list if readers inform such place
names, which they know. We value very
much these feed-backs from them. Thus,
we will be able to substantiate our statements.
References
1.
Tulu Lexicon (page:1962)
2.
Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, Entry No .4016,
page 357 under Pallam).
- Hosabettu Vishwanath, Pune
Camp:
Udyavara, Udupi; 14th October, 2017
