SOiMK I'LACK-NAMKS OF TSOLO. 6ll 



Vmnya siiiipl) indicates " tlic niiniosa " {.Uacia honidu). 

 Probabl)' in that region the mimosa trees are very i)lentifal. 



Ncolosi. — The iiati\e name for St. Cuthbert's Aiii^Hcan Mis- 

 sion is full of interest. l'\)r lon,^ one could not trace its deriva- 

 tion until the hint came that jirohably, as we have a place called 

 Xcolora. and another called Nconcolora. so with this name there 

 might be a Ncolosi. and a Nconcolosi. This proved eventually to 

 be the clue. It appears that the Rushmen used a root in olden 

 days for the making of tire, by means of a long stick rapidly 

 rotated between the palms of the hands. This was called Nconco- 

 losi, and the bush growing ])lentifully in the locality, the name 

 became transferred from the object to the place. 



Nccmbii, the name of a blue lily which grows plentifully near 

 the edge of the plateau above the Matiwane Mountains. 



Matyeha, a sort of herb said to be used for "healing assegai 

 and other wounds; also largely used in circunicision in the same 

 wa}' as i:;iczve ; also in the old days used before going into battle 

 as a " wash." applied to the whole body and supposed to protect 

 from, all danger. While one cannot say with certainty, it is most 

 jjrobable that this aviatyeba grew either ])lentifully. or specially 

 well, near the stream, and so the name came to be applied to the 

 stream. Another possible derivation is from itycba, a riem, plural 

 cunatycba. riems. Btit this exjilanation does not commend itself. 

 Rather would we suggest that rushes used in basket-making, when 

 split for that ])urpr)se having the ap])earance of a " riem," grew 

 in that spot. 



Goi]-a'aiia. — Igoqo =. a piled heap of anything, specially fire- 

 wood ready for use. U'ana is diminutive. The name would 

 indicate the place where the wood, or rushes, grow. The full 

 name is c-Goq-a'ana. which would seem to differentiate it from 

 um-yoq-aa}w 11.6. 



Bulcmbu is the name given to a hill forming part of the 

 Malepelei^e Plateau. In the pools and streams in the vicinity the 

 green spirogyra grows plentifully, and accordingly this character- 

 istic gives the place its name. Bnlembii means " moss." and is 

 no doubt used also of the spirogyra ; it also is the name given to 

 the " hair " ]:)rotruding from green mealie cobs. This word is 

 new. 



Kambi may be classified either here, or under Group 4, 

 according as one decides the derivation. The krantz of the hill 

 certainly does look like the chewings ( to be seen on every foot- 

 path in season) ejected after the juice has been extracted from 

 the sugar-cane. It may also bear resemblance to a spider's moult. 



Gwali. — Hottentots made tea of a certain bush, and used 

 bark as a purgative. These bushes evidently grew plentifully 

 around the stream, and so locality came to be called by the name 

 of the bush. 



Mncctxana. a small bush, root used by Pondos for making 

 ])enis caps. 



Ntozani, a forest, said to be nanred after the grass to be 



