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We do not find the names back on our old cards, although they must obviously be old and although travelers had to go along the route. It looks safe to assume that the river first carried the name. The river runs from west to east in the Bushman River. The two farms that were determined to each other at a time (now they are separated by Coral Dene), stretching them on either side of the QamTara. The area is rich in yellowwood trees, as evidenced by the naming. What the name means, we do not know from old sources that are available to us. Descending on the sound, it can lead us, without difficulty, to understand the element -tra, also -Tara, as 'woman' (Nama Tara-S = 'the Frau, Das Weib, the Herrin des Hauses', Kr .-R. 1969 NW 356). Cfg. With this original river names such as Tarka, Traka, and place names such as Tra- dew (W). There is good reason to take the component 'woman'. The first member must then relate to it, eg. By summoning the QAM, later spelled, like Nama d = kham = young. QamTara is then possible to understand as the 'river of the young (married) women'. Otherwise, it can be thought ofǃ Women who are no longer available for boyfriends. There are other combinations, eg. ǀ gam = two,ǃ Gam = murder,ǃ comb = fight, etc. Current on consideration that we have a mixing area where Xhosa and Khoekhoen lived in a while, and taking into account the technique of what we mentioned the 'rusty key' T.O.v. The sympathetic of place names of different language groups, we, with more hope of success, approach the problem in second institution from another side. We believe that QamTara is an adaptation of Kammortra or a similar old Khoekhoense form of the name, and in the direction of Xhosa. This phenomenon often occurs, cf. Qinira next to Kinigha or Caninga (th a * 272) The middle course of the QamTara flows over the farm 'Yellow-wood tree' No. Q. 5-52 and over farm No. Alx. Q. 7-4 belonging to ALX. Q. 7-3, Lot B Kamtra, border. By the name Cammacha (th a * 270), where before the variance signs Kameka and Kamka were also recorded, we expressed the suspicion that the first member matches a now lost word for 'yellowwood'. In the light of the toponimic 'core group' mentioned above, which includes 'QamTara', 'Kammertra' and 'yellowwood tree', we believe that we are having the same Khoekhoian word for 'yellowwood', M.A.w. That the farm name Yellowwood tree is a translation of the Khoekhoian Kamt (a) Ra and that QamTara is an Xhosa adaptation of the Khoekhoen name. If it is correct and the Xhosa form with the Q- also preserves the old palatal or cerebral suction consonant of Khoek'Hoen, it shows to a Khoekhoense formǃ K (H) AM or ╪K (H) AM - for 'Yellowwood' . These speculations got a bump when Mr CJ Severead went to question again. He writes 1979 O.A. 'Several Voices Taped As Repeats in View of Previous Uncertainty, Taken at Farm Geelhoutboom Which is on the Kamtra River', confirms the Xhosa pronunciation of Kammertra as 'Icham Tala', D.W.S. Now with the dental slap. It gives Khoekhens something like ǀ K (h) am-.
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Ons vind die name nie op ons ou kaarte terug nie, hoewel hulle kennelik oud moet wees en hoewel reisigers langs die roete moes gegaan het. Dit lyk veilig om aan te neem dat die rivier eerste die naam gedra het. Die rivier loop van wes na oos in die Boesmansrivier. Die twee plase wat op 'n tyd bepaald aan mekaar gegrens het (nou is hulle geskei deur Coral Dene), strek hulle aan weerskante van die Qamtara uit. Die gebied is ryk aan geelhoutbome, soos uit die naamgewing blyk. Wat die naam beteken, weet ons nie uit ou bronne wat tot ons beskik- king is nie. Afgaande op die klank, kan dit ons daartoe lei, sonder moeite, om die element -tra, ook -tara, te begryp as 'vrou' (Nama tara-s = 'die Frau, das Weib, die Herrin des Hauses', Kr.-R. 1969 NW 356). Vgl. hiermee oorspronklike riviername soos TARKA, TRAKA, en plekname soos TRA- DOU(W). Daar is dan goeie rede om die komponent 'vrou' te vat. Die eerste lid moet dan tog daarmee 'n aanneemlike verband hou, bv. deur die Qam-, later gespel Kam-, op te vat soos Nama d=kham = jonk. Qamtara is dan moontlik te begryp as die 'Rivier van die jong (getroude) vrouens'. Anders kan gedink word aan ǃGam(e)-tara-s = 'die Ehefrau' (Kr.-R. 89), die 'Rivier van die getroude vrouens', ongeag of hulle pas of lankal ge- troud is, d.w.s. vrouens wat nie meer vir jongkerels beskikbaar is nie. Daar is ander kombinasies, bv. ǀgam = twee, ǃgam = moord, ǃkam = baklei, ens. Afgaande op die oorweging dat ons hier 'n menggebied het waar Xhosa en Khoekhoen op 'n tyd deurmekaar gewoon het, en met inagneming van die tegniek van wat ons genoem het die 'verroeste sleutel' t.o.v. die sim- biose van plekname van verskillende taalgroepe, kan ons, wel met meer hoop op sukses, die probleem in tweede instansie van 'n ander kant be- nader. Ons meen dat Qamtara ’n aanpassing is van Kamtra of ’n soortgelyke ou Khoekhoense vorm van die naam, en wel in die rigting van Xhosa. Hierdie verskynsel kom meermale voor, vgl. Qinira naas Kinigha of CANINGA (TH A* 272) Die middelloop van die Qamtara vloei oor die plaas 'Geel- houtboom' nr Uit. Q. 5-52 en oor plaas nr Alx. Q. 7-4 wat aan Alx. Q. 7- 3, lot B Kamtra, grens. By die naam CAMMACHA (TH A* 270) waar- voor die variantspellinge Kameka en Kamka ook opgeteken is, het ons die vermoede uitgespreek dat die eerste lid ooreenstem met ’n nou verlore woord vir 'geelhout'. In die lig van die toponimiese 'kerngroep', hierbo genoem, wat 'Qamtara', 'Kamtra' en 'Geelhoutboom' insluit, meen ons dat ons hier weer met dieselfde Khoekhoense woord vir 'geelhout' te make het, m.a.w. dat die plaasnaam Geelhoutboom ’n vertaling van die Khoekhoense Kamt(a)ra is en dat Qamtara 'n Xhosa-aanpassing van die Khoekhoense naam is. Indien dit korrek is en die Xhosavorm met die Q- ook hier die ou palatale of serebrale suigkonsonant van Khoek'hoens bewaar, wys dit na ’n Khoekhoense vorm ǃk(h)am of ╪k(h)am- vir 'geelhout'. Hierdie spekulasies het 'n stamp gekry toe mnr CJ Skead weer na- vraag gaan doen het. Hy skryf 1979 o.a. 'Several voices taped as repeats in view of previous uncertainty, taken at farm Geelhoutboom which is on the Kamtra River', bevestig die Xhosa-uitspraak van Kamtra as 'iCham- tala', d.w.s. nou met die dentale klap. Dit gee vir Khoekhoens dan iets soos ǀk(h)am-.
