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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s7.t3: XXI. Mamandur

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s7.t3

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XXI. Mamandur

c28.s7.t3.1

**73.1 *kaṇimāṉ*** N. of the chieftain of the hill. See section 4.5.3.

c28.s7.t3.2

Cf. *kaṇimakaṉ* (*Peruṅ.* 1.36:199) where, however, the expression means 'an astrologer'.

c28.s7.t3.3

**a. *kaṇi*** lit., 'learned man' (*TL*), here occurring as part of the personal name. Cf. *gaṇya* (Skt.) 'to be regarded' > *kaṇṇiyam* 'respectability, dignity' (*TL*).

c28.s7.t3.4

**b. *-māṉ*** See **59.2.c**.

c28.s7.t3.5

**73.2 *tēṉūr*** (P.) The place cannot be identified as there were more than one village with this name.

c28.s7.t3.6

Cf. LT Tēṉūr (*Aiṅk.* 54:3; *Naṟṟ.* 275-76, comm., Mayilai.).

c28.s7.t3.7

Cf. (inscr.) *malaiyadhvajaṉ tēṉūr malai-il tavañ-ceyyakkaṇṭu* 'when (he) saw Malayadhvajaṉ performing penance on the hill at Tēṉūr' (*IPS*:No. 9, ca. 8th cent. A.D.).

c28.s7.t3.8

**a. *tēṉ*** (n.) lit., 'honey' (D. 3268b). Here the word occurs as an attribute to the place name.

c28.s7.t3.9

**b. *ūr*** (n.) 'village'. See. **19.2**.

c28.s7.t3.10

**73.3 *tanta*** (v.) 'who took (in battle)'; adjectival past participle from *tā*/*taru* 'to give (to 1st or 2nd person)' (D. 3098 citing *Tol. Col.* 1.29); 'to capture' (*TL*).

c28.s7.t3.11

**Analysis:** *ta* (stem) + *nt* (past tense marker) + *a* (participial suffix).

c28.s7.t3.12

Cf. Ta. *taruvi* 'to cause to bring'; Ka. *tar* 'to bring' (D. 3098). The phrase ***tēṉūr tanta kōṉ*** clearly indicates the meaning of the verb.

c28.s7.t3.13

Cf. LT *āreyil pala tantu* 'having captured many 'formidable fortresses' (*Puṟa.* 6:14); *ollaiyūr tanta pūta pāṇṭiyaṉ* 'Pūta Pāṇṭiyaṉ who took Ollaiyūr (*Puṟa.* 71: colophon); *pāṇṭiyaṉ kāṇappēr tanta ukkira-p-peruvaluti* 'Ukkira Peruvaḷuti, the Pāṇṭiya, who took Kāṇappēr' (*Puṟa.* 367:colophon).

c28.s7.t3.14

**73.4 *kōṉ*** (n.) 'chieftain'. See **52.2.b**.

c28.s7.t3.15

**73.5 *kuṉṟu*** (n.) 'hill' (D. 1864). Cf. *kuṉṟa-* (**60.1.b**).

c28.s7.t3.16

Cf. LT *a-k-kuṉṟu kiḻavōṉē* 'Oh! lord of that hill' (*Aka.* 48:22); *kuṉṟu* 'hill' (*Tivā.* 860; *Piṅkala.* 496; *Cūṭā.* 5:12).

c28.s7.t3.17

Chieftains are associated in Caṅkam literature with the hills they fortified as their strongholds; e.g., Paṟampumalai of Pāri (*Puṟa.* 109), Kutiraimalai of Piṭṭaṅkoṟṟaṉ (ibid. 168) and Viccimalai of Viccikkōṉ (ibid. 200).

c28.s7.t3.18

(n.) 'support, prop'.

c28.s7.t3.19

The inscription is engraved just below two post holes cut deeply into the brow of the cave. The post holes, square in section and unusually large, must have been made to insert square wooden beams to support a substantial structure like a canopy (no longer extant) in front of the cave. Further the text ***āci ceyitāṉ tacaṉ*** indicates that *āci* was some wooden object made by a carpenter.

c28.s7.t3.20

Cf. *āsi* (AMg.) 'to support' (*PSM*) < *ā- śri* (Skt.) 'to rest on' (MW).

c28.s7.t3.21

Cf. Ta. *ācu* 'prop. support' (*TL*); *ācu āku entai yāṇṭu uḷaṉ kollō* 'where indeed is our father, our support?' (*Puṟa.* 235:16, 307:1; *Kuṟun.* 176:5); *ācu āku* 'you be our support' (*Puṟa.* 266:9); *arakkar tol kulam ācu aṟa* 'to destroy the support to the ancient race of the Rākshasas' (*Kampa.* 6.14.18, variant reading cited in *Peru. Aka.*); *ācu* 'the upper wooden framework of a wagon' (ibid.).

c28.s7.t3.22

Cf. (inscr.) *kuṟṟutaivāḷ ācu* 'hilt of the dagger' (*SII.* II: No. 46, Line 43, Cōḻa, 11th cent. A.D.).

c28.s7.t3.23

(v.) 'he who made'; past participial noun, 3rd person masculine singular, from *ceyi* (LT *cey*) 'to make'.

c28.s7.t3.24

**Analysis**: *ceyi* (stem) + *t* (past tense marker) + *āṉ* (PNG suffix). The verb form is treated as a participial noun as it precedes the subject. See also **ceytā[ṉ\*] (55.4)**.

c28.s7.t3.25

(*taccaṉ*) 'carpenter'. The stem-final consonant *-c-* is not doubled.

c28.s7.t3.26

Cf. LT *vaikal eṇ tēr ceyyum taccaṉ* 'the carpenter who can make eight chariots in a day' (*Puṟa.* 87:2-3); *taccar* 'carpenters, stonemasons' (*Tivā.* 201; *Piṅkala.* 790); *taccaṉ* (*Cūṭā.* 2:29).

c28.s7.t3.27

Cf. (inscr.) *taccaṉ* 'stonemason' (*SII.* XIV:No. 26, Pāṇṭiya, ca. 9th cent. A.D.); *taccaṉ* 'carpenter' (ibid. No. 46, ca. 10th cent. A.D.). The expression ***peruntacaṉ*** (*-taccaṉ*) occurs in the Corpus in the sense of a 'master mason, sculptor' (**117.3**).

c28.s7.t3.28

The word *taccaṉ* is generally derived from IA. Cf. *taccha* (AMg.) < *takshan* (Skt.) 'carpenter'. This, however, leaves Tamil without a native word for 'carpenter/ stonemason' which seems unlikely. Cf. *tai* 'to make, create' (*TL*); *tacca* (< *taitta*) (*Villi.* 9:46); *tai* 'to fasten beams with nails, spikes or pegs' (D. 3473); *taital* (Ma.) 'split bamboos joined for doors, mats, ceilings' (ibid.). Cf. cognate forms *tac-/*tāc-* in Kuwi (ibid.). The evidence supports the derivation of *taccu* 'carpentry' from Dr. *tai* (*\* tay/tac*). Cf. **taita** (*taitta*) 'made' (**101.2**).

c28.s7.t3.29

**73.9 ciṟu...vaṉ** N. of the carpenter. The name is mutilated as one letter in the middle is lost.

c28.s7.t3.30

**a. ciṟu-** (adj.) 'small, young'.

c28.s7.t3.31

**b. ... vaṉ** probably a personal name whose beginning is lost.

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