IMAGES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

PLACE NAMES AND GREAT PLACES OF SOUTH AFRICA  LESOTHO AND SWAZILAND

The great variety of place names in Southern Africa can of course be ascribed to the colourful past and present of the region.  San (Kung), Hottentot (Quena) Inguni, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, German, Afrikaans, Indian, Chinese and anyone else who cared to take a look at these wonderful lands, gave their bit to our  vocabulary. Towns and villages, hills, mountains, roads and rivers all owe a part of their character and history to a variety of our people.

Names can have all sorts of origins. Often they are given by the discoverer or founder of a place: e.g.: -  Fouriesburg takes it's name from a family who trekked into the area from the Cape colony in 1843. Zeerust takes it's name from the Coetzee  family. Warden is named after a British administrator, the first magistrate of Bloemfontein. Where did the Name "Lesotho" come from?

In Zulu, a picturesque and often onomatopoeic language, the name may describe a physical attribute: e.g.: - Eshowe - one popular version of the name's origin has it that "eshowe" is like the sound of the wind in the towns famous indigenous forest (Dlinza Forest).   Hluhluwe - is said to take it's whispering name from the nearby river which  in turn refers to the  Thorny Monkey rope creeper, Umhluhluwe, (Dalbergia Aemata) that is common in the area.

Placenames - what are we doing?

Collecting information about place names in Southern Africa, travelling to places of interest, talking to people who live there.Opening the discussion on names and the history and the culture of place names.

What do you know? What did your parents tell you? Do you have information  or anecdotes to share about place names or local history?  Throw in your bit, contribute. Tell us a story, criticise and advise the webmaster.

Do you have placenames for Lesotho and Swaziland?

Contact Information

The webmaster Paul Gosselin is sometimes at home where you can contact him by telephone. However, it is far better to send an e-mail to the address indicated below.   Thank you.

e-mail :  webmaster@placenamesa.com

Southern Africa

  

To see a large file version of this map, click on the button below.

For more Great Places, Placenames and Images of Lesotho, try these pages

All photographs in this section are copyright of the webmaster, Paul Gosselin. Contact  webmaster@placenamesa.com

for permission.

Last updated:  21 November 2008