7/22/2019 Tamil Place Names in Malaysia - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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Map of Malaiyur, Malayadvipa and Malaya.

Tamil place names in MalaysiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The name Malaya is a combination of two Tamil

words, MalayorMalai(hill) andur(town)

meaning hilltown (Malaiyur). There is also another

hill-town in Sumatra (Malayadvipa),[1]which had

been given the same nameMalai-Yurwhich later

becameMalayu(see Melayu Kingdom). Till the time

of I-Tsing (671 AD), this was known as Jambi.[2]

The name Malaiyur, also spelt Mazhaiyur, is a small

town in Thiruvannamalai District of Tamil Nadu,

India. Malaiyur is 110 kmsouth-west of Chennai at

Latitude (lat): 1230'0"N and Longitude (lon):

7929'0"E. Located on Chetpet-Vandavasi Road, the

town is midway between Chetpet and Vandavasi.[3]

Contents

1 Pattani2 Manigramam3 Tondi4 Takkolam (Takuapa)

5 Kadaram (Kedah)6 Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and Madamalingam7 Cheras

8 References

Pattani

In the northern part of the Malay Peninsula there isa place called Pattani. The name 'PATTANI' is

derived from the Tamil word 'PATTANAM'. Until the late 19th century, it was called Pattanam by the

Tamils. Reference - TAMIL LEXICON. One must differentiate between PATHTHANSof Tamilnadu

who are called 'PATTAANI'. The Pathans migrated to Tamilnadu when they came with the Turks and

Mughals. Since Malaya had been subject to the settlement of Tamil Muslims (who intermarried with the

local women) as early as the 10th century A.D.[2]

Manigramam

Literal meaning ofManigramamin Tamil is gem like town. This is to be identified in the Malay

peninsula as a trading center of the Tamils from the Coromandel Coast. Manigramamoccurs in Tamil

inscriptions of the Malabar coast.[4]

Tondi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaiyurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayadvipahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coromandel_Coasthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manigramamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marakkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattanihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaiyurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melayu_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayadvipahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaiyurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpg

7/22/2019 Tamil Place Names in Malaysia - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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Depiction of the siege of Kedah, the

battle between Beemasenan's Chola

naval infantry and the defenders of

Kedah fort.

There are two places in the Tamil country with the same name Tondi one in the Chera Empire and the

other one in the Pandyan Empire. However, there seems to have been a third Tondiin the Malay

Peninsula.[2]

A reference to the Malayan Tondioccurs in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram which was first discovered by

Nilakanta Sastri and later reported by Tom Harrison (1949), thus:

Having entered together with the est wind that came laden with (the aroma) of aloe, silks, sandal, spices

and camphor put by the residents ofTondi on board a fleet of tall roomy ships.[2]

Takkolam (Takuapa)

Takuapa of the northern part of the Malay Peninsula is otherwise known as Takkolam. Takkolam is the

Tamil word for piper cuveba and calyptranthes jambalana. There is also a place in the Tamil country

which up to now carries the same name Takkolam. The Malaysian Takuapa could have been either

abounded by the spices calyptranthese jambalana and piper cubeba or it could have been occupied by

settlers from the Takkolam of the Tamil country, or both.[2]

Kadaram (Kedah)

Kedah, the west coast of Malaya, is known as Kadaram in Tamil.

Kadaram-kandan, conqueror of Kadaram was one of the

attributes given to Rajendra Cholan I of the Tamil Chola empire of

the early 11th century AD. There is also a place in the Madurai

District in Tamil Nadu, of the Pandyan Empire, with the name

Kadaram.[2]

A large and round fruit, which is a species of orange, with sour

and bitter taste (not grapefruit) is called by the Tamils as

kadarangkay, kadaram-pulp. This variety of orange was brought

by the Tamil traders fromMalaysiato Tamil Nadu, or the place

abounded by this pulp could have been named after it by the

Tamil settlers in Malaya.[2]

Kedah in the Malay language means 'open wide'which is apt as

Kedah is primarily made of padi fields which as flatlands. SoNegeri Kedah would be 'Wide Open State'. Place names in

Malaysia tend to be Malay words that describe the nature of the

place or the plants or animals that are abundant there.

Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and

Madamalingam

Mayirudinggam,Mappappalam,Mewilimbanggam, andMadamalingamare to be identified in the

northern part of the Malay Peninsula. These are among the several states that were part of the Sri Vijayaempire but were overwhelmed by Rajendra Chola I in 1025 AD. A Tanjore Inscription which

commemorates this victory mentions the place names.[2][5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_Chola_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Vijayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandyanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maduraihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rajendra_Cholan_I&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Tamil_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Tamil_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuapahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuapahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilappatikaramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandyanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chera_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Tamil_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_kedah.jpg

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Cheras

Cheras inMalaysia is a suburb located in both Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Originally, Cheras is the name

of a kingdom in ancient Tamilakkam. Outside of Malaysia on the central part of the island of Sumatra are a

group of people called the Karo Batakscarrying Dravidian clan names such as Chera, Chola, Pandya, and

Pallava.

References

1. ^[1](http://www.sabrizain.demon.co.uk/malaya/malays4.htm)

2. ^ abcdefghArokiaswamy, Celine W.M. (2000). Tamil Influences in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the

Philippines. Manila s.n. pp. 43, 4547, & 49.

3. ^"Malaiyur in Malaiyur India" (http://www.india9.com/i9show/Malaiyur-83497.htm). India9.com. 2005-07-

29. Retrieved 2013-10-15.

4. ^Hultzach, E. (1913). "Note on a Tamil Inscription in Siam".Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and

Ireland Journal. 3rd Series. s. 1 & 2.

5. ^Coedes, Georges (1968).Indianized States of Southeast Asia. Honolulu: East-West Center.

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