Sin: කුරුඳුගහහැතැප්ම kurun̆dugahahætæpma
‘Cinnamon Tree Milepost’ SP, Sri Lanka
From Sin: kurundu, ‘cinnamon’; gaha, ‘tree’; and hæthækma, ‘mile, milepost’.
In ancient Sinhalese measurement a hæthækma is roughly 2 hoo sadde duras (the distance a ‘hoo’ cry can be heard) or 500 dunnas (the maha-dunna or great bow has a fixed measure of 9ft); which means the hæthækma is approximately one mile.
In practical terms, the hæthækma is the distance a coolie can travel without becoming ‘breathless’, hetikekktima, and needing to stop for a break.
Hence the term milepost, which marked one of a series of resting places and shelters for weary travellers: in this case, the welcoming shade of a cinnamon tree.
Kurundugahetekma, according to Dinesh (a very good friend of mine), is the longest Expressway road sign in Sri Lanka, 112 hoo cries from Colombo.
For related place names see Sri Lanka Place names.
