NOTE 6.—­Probably founded on local or caste customs of marriage, several of which in South India are very peculiar; e.g., see Nelson’s Madura, Pt.  II. p. 51.

[1] The etymology of the name seems to be doubtful.  Dr. Caldwell tells me
    it is an error to connect it (as in the first edition) with the word
    for a Tank, which is Kulam.  The apparent meaning of Kollam is
    “slaughter,” but he thinks the name is best explained as “Palace” or
    “Royal Residence.”

[2] There is still a Syrian church of St. George at Quilon, and a
    mosque of some importance;—­the representatives at least of those
    noted above, though no actual trace of antiquity of any kind remains
    at the place.  A vague tradition of extensive trade with China yet
    survives.  The form Columbum is accounted for by an inscription,
    published by the Prince of Travancore (Ind.  Antiq. II. 360), which
    shows that the city was called in Sanskrit Kolamba.  May not the real
    etymology be Sansk. Kolam, “Black Pepper”?

    On the suggestion ventured in this note Dr. Caldwell writes: 

“I fancy Kola, a name for pepper in Sanskrit, may be derived from the name of the country Kolam, North Malabar, which is much more celebrated for its pepper than the country around Quilon.  This Kolam, though resembling Kollam, is really a separate word, and never confounded with the latter by the natives.  The prince of Kolam (North Malabar) is called Kolastri or Kolattiri[A].  Compare also Kolagiri, the name of a hill in the Sanskrit dictionaries, called also the Kolla giri.  The only possible derivations for the Tamil and Malayalim name of Quilon that I am acquainted with are these:  (1) From Kolu, the ‘Royal Presence’ or presence-chamber, or hall of audience. Kollam might naturally be a derivation of this word; and in confirmation I find that other residences of Malabar kings were also called Kollam, e.g.  Kodungalur or Cranganore. (2) From Kolu, the same word, but with the meaning ‘a height’ or ‘high-ground’.  Hence Kollei, a very common word in Tamil for a ’dry grain field, a back-yard’. Kolli is also, in the Tamil poets, said to be the name of a hill in the Chera country, i.e. the Malabar coast. Kolam in Tamil has not the meaning of pepper; it means ‘beauty’, and it is said also to mean the fruit of the jujuba. (3) It might possibly be derived from Kol, to slay;—­Kollam, slaughter, or a place where some slaughter happened ... in the absence, however, of any tradition to this effect, this derivation seems improbable.”

        [A] see II. 387.

[3] Burnell.

[4] The translated passage about ’Apuhota is a little obscure.  The
    name looks like Kapukada, which was the site of a palace north
    of Calicut (not in Kaulam), the Capucate of the
    Portuguese.