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

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.

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.

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)