Magna Cornelius-Krijnauw (born 1958) from Stellenbosch, writes:
"My father (Pieter Hendrik Johannes Krijnauw, born 1930, Lawyer and Member of the Volksraad) went to his grave with the story of his "dots". He did his research and was convinced that the "y" in Krynauw should get a diacritic and should be ÿ or ij.
We also know that the ship registers were written by the Dutch and that they “Dutched” many of the German surnames or wrote them phonetically (especially when the Germans could not write). Later, with the takeover by the British, they anglicized the Dutch surnames in registers/documents and wrote them phonetically.
In my research, I found various spellings....
Kraijnag Daniel, from Grabow
Kreijnauw Daniel, who asks for building land in Tafel valley
Krijnouw Johannes, asking for a plot in Tafel valley (he was the husband of Johanna Walters 1782, who was in turn the widow of Pieter van der Westhuizen)
Kreijnouw Christiaan van Drakensteijn, Kleine Houwhoek, asking for land at Reeboks Rivier, De Rust
Krijnaauw Christiaan, reader and schoolmaster, asks for a plot in Stellenbosch. He later asks for another part that borders his plot. Then they report that Krijnauw is asking for another piece of his enlarged plot.
In telephone directories in Germany I have not yet found a Krijnauw or Krynauw, but I have found Crijnauw and Craijnauw.
I accept that my father was convinced that it must be an “ij” and that is why this spelling was also used in the family’s ID documents.
