ABORIGINAL PLACE NAMES. 75/ 



locality, but in this case we get no guidance on the issue, apart 

 from the fact tliat there is no suggestion of a click. A second 

 guiding principle is whether the letter signifies a click ,m the 

 aboriginal language. 



Now c is one of the three fundamental clicks of si-Xosa, but 

 in Coega it is pronounced k. Hut k in Keiskama is a relic of the 

 H.-B. click, so why should it not just as well be a relic of the 

 same click in the names mentioned? Moreover, Komgha is the 

 universally-adoptefl spelling for the Kaffir Oumra, and Kogha is 

 given as the equivalent for Xora ; and what is nowadays spelt 

 Commadagga was given as Quamedacka by Paterson in his 

 "Travels" (published 1790). Concerning Coega, he gives us 

 the following information: — 



" Here {i.e., at Zout Pan, P.E.) we were visited by 2 CafYres, 

 the firft we had feen; for they very feldom venture fo far out of 

 their own country. At night we arrived at a place called by the 

 Hottentots Kow Cha (Koega), which is much frequented by 

 Lions, Rhinoceroses, and Buffaloes." (P. 83.) 



Making due allowance for some initial k's being unclicked, 

 I am inclined to the view that the early pioneers were at a loss to 

 express the click either by speech or in writing, and were 

 content to use and ])erpetuate the nearest English or Dutch 

 equivalent. It is this ignorance, or the inability to distinguish 

 sounds, whicli gives us a series like Iquibeka, Iquibica, Iquibira, 

 and Xebecca, all attempts at one name ! The correct form is 

 Oibira. 



Puzzling over Coega. we are interested to lind this river 

 spelt Coaga by Hall, in his maj) ])ublished in 1852. He also 

 gives us the river Noaga, wiiich by analogy should surely be 

 spelt Xoega. Paterson, however, gives Norka as the original 

 name, so that if we again analogise, Coega should become Corka 

 — a truly delightful instance of the tangles and snares awaiting 

 the un\var\-. With regard to the pronunciation of this name, 

 Coega, the oe must l)e acce])ted according to the Dutch values, 

 the coe being equivalent to Dutch koe, provided no click is 

 present. Very nmch further west we come across another river, 

 a tributary of the ( Hifant's, named Kouka This ]M-obably 

 represents another attempt at the same name, and only helps to 

 confuse the issue further by reason of its termination. There is 

 also a Kouga in Uitenhage District, probably a different sj)elling 

 of the original Coega. On this showing, then, we are able to 

 narrow down the issue considerabl}-, for the only point really at 

 issue in the word is the initial letter, and the correct form must 

 be either Kura, Oura, or Xura. with the ])robabilities upon the 

 second, and most of all upon the third form. 



The name I'oega also brings us to our second point, concern- 

 ing the values of the suffix. \\'ith the variant spellings. Coega, 

 Koega, Kouka, Koi;ga, we see the ])Ossil)ilit)- of the -ga being 

 ctjuivalent either to -ra or -ka. 



