Matara
/məˈtɑːrə/noun
A city and district in southern Sri Lanka.
Did you know?Matara’s name is often connected with the Sanskrit elements mahā, “great,” and tīrtha, “ford or sacred crossing,” although scholars treat this derivation as traditional rather than certain.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mahā-tīrtha
“A proposed source meaning “great ford” or “great sacred crossing”; the connection is traditional and not fully certain.”
Medieval Sri Lanka
Sinhala
Mātara
“The developing local place-name for the settlement and surrounding region in southern Sri Lanka.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese/Dutch records
Matura / Mature
“European colonial spellings used for the southern Sri Lankan town.”
19th Century
English
Matara
“The standardized English form used for the city and administrative district.”
Modern English
English
Matara
“A major city in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, near the Nilwala River and the Indian Ocean.”