416. Mogaru: villages on the river plain

 In several parts of Tulunadu we can find a specific place name of geographic significance designated for villages and hamlets located on the river plains or river banks. The toponym is Mogaru. Alternately the toponym is Muger in Tulu. Though both of these are Tulu words, Kannada speaking people preferentially have adopted “Mogaru” (ಮೊಗರು)  into their diction. The alternate Tulu word “Muger(u)” (ಮುಗೇರ್), somehow,  is missing in the mighty work Tulu Nighantu (1997).

Geography of a Mogaru (river plain): River Netravati plains viewed from Ullal, Mangaluru.

Mogaru/Muger Villages

Some of the Mogaru villages or hamlets are enlisted below:

  

§  Ajila mogaru, near Maninalkur, Bantwal Taluk, on the northern bank of R.Netravati.

§  Ambla mogaru,(Ambala Mogaru) near Konaje Mangaluru , on southern bank of R.Netravathi.

§  Jeppina mogaru Mangaluru, on the bank of R Netravathi

§  Kallimogaru. (Location to be traced).

§  Kodla mogaru, near East of Manjeshwara, Kasargodu district, Kerala

§  Kolla mogaru, near Subramanya, Sullia Taluk on the banks of a tributary to River Kumardhara

§  Kuduta mogaru,(Kudta-mogaru) Bajal, Mangaluru, on the northern bank of Netravathi

§  Mogaru ( Muger) hamlet of  Mundkur village, on banks of R. Shambavi (Mulki)

§  Mogaru, near Muthur, Mangaluru taluk; on the bank of Gurupur River

§  Mogralputhur (Mogral Puttur) in Kasaragod dt Kerala on Madhuvahini River East bank.

§  Nari mogaru,(Nari Mogaru), near Uppinangadi, Puttur Taluk, on the banks of R. Kumardhara

§  Panji mogaru, near Kulur, Mangaluru on the southern bank of R.Gurupur

Etymology of  Mogaru and Muger

The toponym Mogaru can be analysed as moga+aru, wherein “moga” means face or literally the plain or bank facing the river.; “aru” means the edge or the bank of the river. Therefore mogaru means a (river) facing plain.

There is a related word “ara” (plain or open area) which occurs as a common suffix in place names such as avara (av+ara) as in place names: Attavara, Brahmavara, Pejavara, Neelavara, etc. The suffix   aru also might have been a alternate or derived form of ara the plain or open area.

The alternate Tulu toponym Muger can be analysed as muga+er, wherein muga means face (an alternate form of moga) and er means eri or the ridge or slightly raised or elevated area.

The two parallel but equivalent words “Mogaru” and “Muger” could have come from two different tribal sources of antiquity to present form of Tulu. However, nowadays the toponym “Mogaru” is usually considered to be a Kannada word and “Muger” as its Tulu equivalent.

Etymology of Associated words

In many of the Mogaru/Muger toponyms cited above, we can find an associated word  occurring in the beginning part of the place name. 

“Ajila” in Ajila mogaru refers to an ancient tribe probably that inhabited the river plain referring to. “Ajila”, now is also a lineage surname among Jain/Bunt families.

“Ambala” in Ambala Mogaru possibly refers to an temple (Ambala) that existed during the past historical period. “Am” can also refer to a past tribe that inhabited these areas. (These aspects can be discussed later in another post in detail)

 “Jeppina” or” jappina” in Jeppina Mogaru in general refers to slope of the land. It can also mean fall in the level of river or precisely a shifting of the river plain. In fact there are specific geological evidences in this area for earlier existence of  a river (Netravati) which has changed its course further southwards (as found now) due to geological and tectonic  causes in the past history.

“Kuduta” in Kuduta-muger represents horse gram (kuḍu in Tulu; huruli in Kannada) which was one of the earliest type of agricultural crops cultivated in Tulunadu as well as in south India.

“Kodla” in Kodla Mogaru appears to be an alternate form of ‘Kudla’. The term ‘kudla’ is sometimes explained as variant of “koodla” or river confluence. However, if the location does not have a confluence of river it can have an etymology such as: kudu+ala, wherein kudu means horse gram ( earliest grown agricultural crop in these regios)  and “ala” refers to habitations on the bank of water bodies or rivers.

“Kolla” in Kollamogaru relates to an ancient tribe of Kols, (a) versed in metal smelting and /or (Kolli tribes)(b) adapted to fishing.

Kalli in Kallimogaru represents an alternate form of “kallu” which means rocky or stony land surface on the river plain. We find “kallu “ in place names like: Kallamundkur, Kallya, etc.  The Tulu word “kalli” can have alternate explanations as we find in Tulu Noghantu such as (1) a network bag made of the coir fibres, usually used by fisher folks for carrying food/meals in olden days.(2)A measure of length for threads or (3) A cactus plant. However none of these explanations suit the environs of the place name. For example cactus being xerophyte   plant  usually grows in dry lands; however stony surfaces are usual along the coastal terrain.

Mogral in Mogral Puthur is again a compound word ( Mogaru+ala) , etymology of these words/word units  has been explained above sections.

“Nari” in Nari-Mogaru can be (1) a  jackal or (2) tiger. See Post:410

“Panji” in Panji-mogaru refers to pig or hog. Incidentally Panjurli is a reverent Spirit deity in Tulunadu.

Homonyms of Muger

While analysing the “mogaru/muger” place names, one should be aware of the homonyms of the word “Muger”. A homonym is a similar sounding term but having a differing meaning. Tulu language has many homonyms, possibly due its prolonged existence and contact with many tribal groups.

The known homonyms of the term mugger(u) are as follows:

Muger(u)¹: Mogaru (described above)

Muger(u)²/Mugger/Muyyer/Mer(u) : A rabbit; hare

Mugger/Muggera/Muggeru/Muger(u)³: refers to (1) members of Mugera (or Mera) tribe or (2) the martyred tribal heroes Mudda and Kalala worshipped by Muggera/Mera community. This is an different word

Though generally some of these alternate term are  pronounced with emphasis on “g”, some regional variants are pronounced very similar to Mugera (ie equivalent of Mogaru/Muger¹). Therefore these alternates should not be confused with Muger¹.

Geographic significance

Since the place name Mogaru or Muger, specifically addresses an area on the river plain, we can use it for identifying places where the ancient rivers have changed their courses along the historical timeline. For example the Mogaru village, near Muthur  (East of Gurupur Kaikamba) cuts across the Gurupur River. This possibly suggests shifting of the river course since the formation of administrative boundaries of the villages about 200 years ago. Similarly we find that the Narimogru village is found away from river bank which indicates shifting in the course of River Kumardhara in that area. Similarly near the  Kodlamogaru village we do not find any  river now as it has been  shifted. 
The shifting of Netravati River by the side of  Jeppina Mogaru, near Mangaladevi area, Mangaluru, has been discussed in earlier posts in this blog.
The village of Mogral, near Kasargodu, Kerala, is found on the bank of Mogral/Madhuvahini River. Into this old village, the newly grown village area was added subsequently as Mogral-puthur (new village of Mograu+ala) which has grown towards Eastward and consequently we find a large part of the village now  existing away from the flank of river Mogral (or Madhuvahini river). 

Borrowed words

 We have given only a list of Mogaru place names existing in Tulunadu which gives an impression that Mogaru or its variant Mugeru  is an exclusive Tulu word.

In that case, you will be surprised to know that there are about a hundred different places in India that carry the tag of Mogar or any of its variants. How that can be possible? The fact that there exists many such place names all over India suggests that (1) Mogaru is a borrowed word in Tulu and (2) place names in Tulu are not unique to Tulunadu as assumed by some but are part of the pan Indian evolution of languages and culture.

Before Tulu took up a place of pride in Tulunadu there were other languages in these areas, like variants of Prakrit and Munda languages. 

Words along the timeline of prolonged history have  survived   like resistant coins and have been reused by later introduced languages with or without minor changes.

 In this case it appears that Tulu has borrowed these words from Prakrit language that prevailed in the land up to the early centuries of the Common Era.

Related place names

Patla-kanda (ಪಟ್ಲ ಕಂಡ).
Ala (as spatial suffix or prefix).

- Hosabettu Vishwanath

  With  Ravindra Mundkur