Muphrid

Authors: IAU-WGSN Etymology Group, Susanne M Hoffmann, Roland Laffitte

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Muphrid ( المفرد) is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Arabic. It is the name of HIP 67927 (η Boo, HR 5235) in constellation Bootes.

Etymology and History

on eta Bootis in Ideler (1809).

Ideler (1809) writes that he doesn't understand why the star is named as such. He states that the term is translated "isolated" but that it is unclear whether the isolation refers to a location separate from the Bootes figure or something else ("Mufrid heißt abgesondert, isolirt. Was es in dieser Zusammensetzung sagen soll, ist mir nicht ganz klar.").

Kunitzsch and Smart (2006):

The formation of this name begins with the ancient Arabic name for α Boo: al-simak al-ramih, "the Lance-bearing simak" (the meaning of simak is uncertain). It seems that later Arabic poets expanded upon this name by making mention of some separate "lance" (al-rumh) that accompanied the star α Boo. Subsequent Arabs attempted to identify this fictitious lance with actual stars, sometimes saying it was η Boo with nearby stars, sometimes saying it was "η Boo alone" (where "alone", in Arabic, is written mufradan). From these discussions came, with a slight copying mistake in the Arabic, the erroneous Arabic name mufrad al-ramih, roughly translating as "the Isolated Single One of the Lance-Bearer". With a wrong vocalization and with abbreviation, this erroneous name, as "Muphrid", was applied in recent times.

Arabian constellation al-Simak with Lances and Armes (CC BY Roland Laffitte 2025).

Roland Laffitte (2025) writes:

Muphrid (η Boo: 2.68) / المفرد . Borrowed two centuries ago and now adopted by the IAU, this name corresponds to the late Arabic phrase Mufrad al-Rāmiḥ, ‘the isolated [star] of Alramech’, which is explained by its position near the main star of the constellation (see supra, Fig. 53b). Arabic: Mufrad al-Rāmiḥ, Uluġ Bēg, ‘Muphrid AlRâmih’, Hyde > Miphrid, Bode and Piazzi > French: Moufride, Coulier, Muphrid, Francœur. Muphrid & var., Allen, Rumrill, Hoffleit, but Muphrid alone, Rhoads, etc., Simbad, IAU.

Name (orig.)	Name	translation	identification (RL)	author	note
	al-Rumḥ	la Lance	η Boo	Ṣūfī
	Mirzam al-Simāk	the Predecessor of Simak		Marzūqī
	Mufrad al-Rāmiḥ	The Isolated One of Alramech		Tīzīnī
	Rāyat al-Simāk	the Standard of Simak	ε Boo	Qutayba
	Tābiᶜ al-Simāk	the Follower of Simak		Ṣūfī
	al-ᶜAḍaba	the Belt	ρσ Boo	Ṣūfī
	al-Silāḥ	the Arms	τυ Boo	Ṣūfī

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/09/12.

Weblinks

• Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

Reference

• References (general)