Today we examine the origins of another South African place name - this time Potchefstroom in the North West Province.
How Potchefstroom Got its Name
Like many place names, the origins of the name Potchefstroom are somewhat murky, with various theories vying for the right to be right.
Let’s look at the contenders:
1. 'Potgieter' (name of the town father
Andries Potgieter ) + 'Chef' (indicative of his leadership) + 'stroom' (meaning ‘stream’ – a reference to the Mooi River. The question mark here is the use of the word chef (derived from chief) which would not have been a common term amongst Afrikaaners at the time.
2. Coming from the word 'Potscherf', meaning broken pot, due to the cracks that appear in the soil of the Mooi River Valley during drought
3. An abbreviation of "Potgieterstroom" to "Potgerstroom" to, eventually, "Potchefstroom".
4. "Potjestroom" – a word found on many historical documents and photographs referring to the town in question.
Doubtless the jury will remain out on this one for many more years to come…
Information sources:
Wikipedia
