19221 



MADRAS PEARL FISHERIES 



57 



V— NOTES UPON THE DERIVATION AND SIGNIFICATION 



OF THE NAMES OF THE PRINCIPAL PEARL BANKS 



OFF THE MADURA COAST. 



s 



3 



5z 



10 



ii 



Names of the 

 Pars as they 



appear in the 



Inspection 



Reports. 



Names of the 

 I 'fir; in the 



forms now re- 

 commended 



for adoption. 



Signification. 



Derivation and remarks. 



Pamban 

 Par. 



Karai 



Velangu Par 



Musal 



Par. 

 Cholava 



Par. 



Thivu 

 Karai 



Kilakarai Val- 

 lia Malai 



Velangu Par. 



Vallia Malai 

 Karai Par. 



Anna Par 



Nallathanni 

 Thivu Par. 



Upputhanni 

 Thivu Par. 



Kumulam Par. 



Vembar Peria 

 Par. 



Pamban 

 Par. 



Karai 



Pamban Velan- 

 qu Par. 



Musal 

 Par. 



Solaka 

 Par. 



Tivu 



Karai 



Kilakarai Vel- 

 lai Malai 



Velangu Par. 



Veliai Malai 

 Karai Par. 



Anna Par 



Nalla Tanni 

 Tivu Par. 



Uppu Tanni 

 Tivu Par. 



Kumulam Par. 



Vembar Periya 

 Par. 



Pamban inshore 

 bank, i.e., Pamban 

 inner bank. 



The bank near 

 Pamban lying fur- 

 ther from shore, 

 i.e., Pamban outer 

 bank. 



Bank lying near 

 Hare Island. 



Bank lying off the 

 south shore (of 

 Rameswaram.) 



Outer bank off the 

 white hill at Kila- 

 karai (Kilakarai, 

 literally the East 

 Coast). 



Inner bank off 

 Veliai Malai. 



Nalla Tanni Tivu 

 bank. 



Uppu Tanni Tivu 

 bank 



Probably this is 

 " the bank 



abounding in 



hemispherical 

 stones." 



Large bank lying 

 off Vembar vil- 

 lage. 



Karai, shore ; par, rock 

 and by extension of 

 meaning, rocky bank. 



Velangu, further. 



Musal, hare ; tivu, island. 



Solaka (cholaka) sojth ; 

 Karai, shore. Cholava 

 probably a misprint for 

 cholaka, which is the 

 fishermen's term for 

 south. " Ten " is the 

 south of the landsman. 



Kilai. east ; Karai, shore ; 

 veliai, white ; malai, hill; 

 velangu, further or outer 

 (Kilakarai a port on the 

 east coast). 



Karai, inshore, i e., inner 

 in contrast to Velangu, 

 outer. Veliai Malai, a 

 white and conspicuous 

 sand dune near Kila- 

 karai. 



Anna or ainam signifies 

 swan. 



Nalla, fresh ; tannir, 

 water ; tivu, island. 

 Nalla Tanni Tivu is an 

 island in the Zamindari 

 of Kamnad where excel- 

 lent fresh water is obtain- 

 able from shallow wells. 



Uppu, salt. An island 

 close to Nalla Tanni 

 Tivu where the wells are 

 brackish. 



Kumulam, a blister-'ike 

 swelling, is applied to 

 the hemispherical masses 

 of .Astrceid corals so com- 

 mon on certain sardy 

 oyster banks. 



Periya, large. 



