86 



ON THE NAMES OF 



The following common descriptive place-names, so preva- 

 lent elsewhere in Southern India, are absent or very rare in 

 South Tan j ore : — 



Cheri, doddi, kovil, kuppai, kuppam, pakkam, palaiyam, 

 puram, vadi and valasai, the commonest affixes to the proper 

 names of villages and hamlets in the Tamil country. 



(a.) Aru, eri, gunta, kal, kulam, kuttai, samudram, 

 and vaykkal, the common affixes meaning river, 

 lake, pond, tank, and channel or canal. 

 (b.) Kal, karadu, kunnam, medu, parai, parambu, tedal, 

 tittu, signifying rock, mound, hillock, mount, as 

 well as giri, kundru and malai, meaning hill, 

 mountain. 



The letters a, b, c, and d prefixed refer to the abovenamed 

 inferences, viz., (a.) the absence of great sources of irrigation ; 

 (b.) the absence of hills and rocks ; (c.) the want of cultiva- 

 tion in the country and people ; and (d.) that a proportion of 

 names indicating the presence of a more northern culture and 

 civilization still does exist. 



The letters N.E., S.W., affixed indicate the direction 

 with reference to the centre of the tract under notice in which 

 the word or name mostly occurs. 



Besides the excessive frequency of the affix pattanam on the 

 coast noticed in the first group, the following particulars may 

 be noted ; the southern limit, and maximum frequency of the 

 affix pattu occur together in the northern part of this tract, 

 between the towns of Tan j ore, Pattu-kotta,! and Pudukottai ; 

 also that the affix vidudi seems to be peculiar to the same 

 locality, or rather nearer to Pudukottai. 



