Telugu name పొన్న ponna for several plants

[Dinesh Valke]

Dear friends, and Lalithamba ji,

I am curious to know the meaning of the name పొన్న ponna, which seems to be a generic name, given to several plants, some of which are:

Calophyllum inophyllum L. (most appropriate) • Ceriops roxburghiana Arn. • Rhizophora apiculata Blume • Rhizophora mucronata Lam.

And then there are several more with some descriptive words as prefix ...

Please validate the meanings I have attempted to put; those marked in red are where I am in doubt.

adavi ponna
అడవి = wild
Rhizophora mucronata LAM.

---

dudduponna
దుడ్డు = rough ?
Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) SOVIGY.

---

edaakula ponna / edakula ponna
ఏడాకుల / ఏడాకుల = ?
Alstonia scholaris R.BR.

---

kaaki ponna
కాకి = crow
Rhizophora apiculata BL.

---

kolaku ponna / kolku ponna
కోలాకు = long-leaved
Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. • Hedysarum gangeticum L. • Uraria lagopodoides (L.) DC.

---

kola ponna
కోల = long
Aglaia odorata LOUR. • Cassia fistula L. • Uraria lagopodioides DC.

---

manci ponna / manji ponna
మంచి = good, best
Rhizophora mucronata LAM.

---

mullu ponna ganti
ముల్ = thorn, spike ... గంటి = hole, bore ?
Alternanthera pungens H.B.K.

---

muyaku ponna / muyyaku ponna
మూయక / ముయ్యాకు = ?
Pseudarthria viscida WIGHT & ARN.

---

nakkathoka ponna
నక్కతోక = fox-tail
Uraria lagopodioides DC. • Aglaia odorata LOUR.

---

nayaku ponna
నాయకు = leader, king
Pseudarthria viscida WIGHT & ARN.

---

nela ponna
నేల = ground, earth
Cassia acutifolia DELILE • Cassia angustifolia VAHL. • Cassia italica (MILL.) SPRENG. • Cassia mimosoides L. • Cassia obovata COLLOD. • Cassia senna L.

---

Ponna ganti kura
గంటి = hole, bore ? ... కూర = herb, greens
Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.BR.EX DC.

---

ponna vithulu
విత్తులు = seeds
Calophyllum inophyllum L.

---

sura ponna
సుర = celestial, divine ?
Mammea longifolia PLANCH. & TRIANA.

---

thuddu ponna
తుడ్డు must be variant of దుడ్డు = rough ?
Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) SOVIGY.

---

uppo ponna / uppu ponna
ఉప్పు = salt
Rhizophora mucronata LAM. • Dillenia indica L. • Rhizophora apiculata BL. • Rhizophora mucronata LAM.

Regards.

Dinesh

[Dinesh Valke]

Thank you very much Lalithamba ji for giving clarity about the name ponna, and meanings of some of the prefixes.

I agree some of the prefixes are puzzling, ambiguous. It is possible that they are written / transcribed wrongly.

Regards.

Dinesh

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lalithamba Avadhanam <alali...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: Telugu name పొన్న ponna for several plants
To: Dinesh Valke <dinesh...@gmail.com>

Dinesh ji you are great 

in pure telugu -PONNA means visible/looks like

In Sanskrit/ sanskritised Tekugu Ponna means a tree -Calophyllum inophyllum; 

the plants that grows in salt marshy areas that look like Calophyllum are known as vuppuponna (Vuppu in telugu=salt)

duddu= thick

Ponnagantikura= leaves look like calophyllum ls but small; they are useful for eye health hence ponna+ kanti/ganti 

they used the word ponna as a sufix to many plants ; there is no perfect reasoning

So also, but some names are really puzzling for Telugu people also for their origin, the language/regional dialects change with time, 

thank you 

regards

A.Lalithamba