eng
The name comes from early on for the place that was a popular tension and transition to the Wapad. The -s are the usual location of sources, fountains and wells. The quotes predict the difficulty of playing place names, we get eg. Amse, Hamis (s), Xammus, Cham (M), Xamis, Khumes, and there are / were more. In the quoted sources, we already get a translation, 'Lion water location' in 1904 'Leeufontein', in 1955 'Lion Lovers', and then there are the untested, eg. Kreenley 1889 Wortschatz 46 'Xamis, Lowenthal (IM Bethanischen Feld)', Dr. Vedder 1947 'Ort Auf Dem Ein Lowe War' in his report on the pnk., And such more. Everyone explains the first member explicitly as 'lion', or some implicitly with the spelling Xami, Nama for Lion. It's o.i. Needless to see the word -is [-ais] = plain. With -S as a place of the fountain for the fountain, we can accept the meaning as 'Leeufontein', which was the whites' alternative name and so on the cricke. The name is also worn by the farm Chamis South No. 49, Dist. Bethanien, on official cards mostly Chamis Slid.
afr
Die naam kom van vroeg af voor vir die plek wat ’n gewilde uitspanning en oorstaning aan die wapad was. Die -s is die gewone lokativering van bronne, fonteine en putse. Die aanhalinge veraanskoulik die moeilikheid om plekname te spel, ons kry bv. Amse, Hamis(s), Xammus, Cham(m)is, Xamis, Khumees, en daar is/was meer. In die aangehaalde bronne kry ons reeds in 1837 ’n vertaling, 'leeuwaterplek', in 1904 'leeufontein', in 1955 'leeuvlakte', en dan is daar die onaangehaaldes, bv. Kroenlein 1889 Wortschatz 46 'Xamis, lowenthal (im Bethanischen Feld)', dr Vedder 1947 'Ort auf dem ein lowe war' in sy berig aan die PNK., en sulkes meer. Almal verklaar die eerste lid eksplisiet as 'leeu', of sommige implisiet met die spelling xami, Nama vir leeu. Dit is o.i. onnodig om in die -is die woord -eis [-ais] = vlakte te sien. Met -s as plekduidende formans vir die fontein, kan ons die betekenis aanvaar as 'leeufontein', wat die Blankes se alternatiewe naam was en op die Kriegskarte so aangegee is. Die naam word ook nog gedra deur die plaas Chamis-Suid nr 49, dist. Bethanien, op amptelike kaarte meestal Chamis Slid.
