kromme

Kromme is a term of Dutch origin meaning curved or bent. In Dutch and Afrikaans, kromme is an inflected form of krom and is used as an adjective or noun phrase to describe a curved feature, such as a bend in a river, road, or coastline.

Geography and toponymy are the most common uses of the name. In South Africa, several geographic features bear the name Kromme, reflecting their curved shapes. The most well-known is the Kromme River (Afrikaans: Kromme), a river in the Eastern Cape that flows toward the Indian Ocean. Its mouth forms the Kromme River Estuary, a coastal area that is part of the region’s protected natural landscape and popular for wildlife viewing and water activities.

Beyond rivers and estuaries, the name appears in other South African toponyms and in rural or coastal place names where a curved feature is a defining characteristic. The form kromme also appears in historical and cultural contexts as a surname among Dutch- and Afrikaans-speaking communities.

Etymology and usage of kromme thus reflect the descriptive nature of Dutch-language toponymy, where geographic features are often named for their physical characteristics. In modern usage, kromme remains primarily a linguistic and geographical descriptor, with its presence most prominent in South African place names and in discussions of Dutch and Afrikaans language heritage.