| Spatial Elements |
| . |
| Trasliteration |
Tamil |
Meaning |
|
| aduppati
|
«ÎôÀÊ |
Means kitchen.
Traditionally in Jaffna people cook by sitting on the floor. Therefore the hearth, which
is called Aduppu in Tamil Language, also made at the ground level. The main element of
this aduppu is an earthenware item made by potters and sold in the market. One or more of
these are embedded in a row within a platform made up of wet earth and finished with cow
dung and clay mix. |
| aRai |
«¨È |
ARai has more than one meaning.
Related to buildings it means room. |
| kakkUsu
|
¸ìÜÍ
|
|
| kunthu |
ÌóÐ |
The word Kunthu as a verb means
sit. Derived from this, a platform or a short wall normally found in traditional houses,
are called Kunthu. The word Thinnai also means the same thing. |
| mAti
|
Á¡Ê |
Maadi denotes an
upper floor. Maadi veedu means a house consists of more than one floor. |
| mAl |
Á¡ø |
|
| machchu
|
ÁîÍ |
This word
generally means a attic. |
| mUlai |
|
Corner |
| muRRam
|
ÓüÈõ |
Mutram means
forecourt. However a centre court yard also referred to as Mutram. |
| natai |
¿¨¼ |
This means Walk. In traditional
houses, the lowered floor created for using as a circulation space, is called as Nadai.
This space is normally paved with rough granite slabs. In a Taditional Naatsar House three
Nadais are provided, one from the main entrance, another from rear entrance and the last
one from the main room and all end up at the central court yard. |
| nataikUtam
|
¿¨¼Ü¼õf |
|
| periya aRai |
¦Àâ «¨È
|
Main Room. Literally it means Big
Room. |
| thalaivAsal
|
¾¨ÄÅ¡ºø |
Literally
it is main entrance. However in village houses in Jaffna, a semi open structure, with a
roof supported on wooden posts and consists of short walls are called "thalai
vAsal". This is a space mainly used by male occupants and visitors. |
| thiNNai |
¾¢ñ¨½ |
Platforms intended
sitting or sleeping. These are generlly provided, in old houses, inside the house and out
side on either side of the main entrance. This word has its root in "thiN" means
"solid" in Tamil. "kunthu" is another word for this. |
| vAsal
|
Å¡ºø |
Entrance.
Alternatively the word "vAyil" also is also used with the same meaning. |
| vIttaRai |
Å£ð¼¨È |
In certain areas of
Jaffna, people use the word "vIddaRai" for "main room". Originally,
the Main Room is the only room space in a house and it was called as the house.
Although susequenly the houses became big with more rooms, the main room was still called
the House (vIdu) or vIttaRai. |
| veLi
|
¦ÅÇ¢ |
In
Tamil this word stands for "out" or "out side", space, open
area. |
| viRanthai |
Å¢È¡ó¨¾ |
Verandah |
| |
