Hoerikwaggo

A view of the Cape of Good Hope, taken on the Spot, from on board the Resolution, Capt. Cook, Oil on canvas (William Hodges 1772, CC0).

The term "Hoerikwaggo" (originally spelled Huriǂoaxa) was adopted for the brightest star in the constellation Mensa by IAU WGSN in 2024. Mensa (table) originally was named Mons Mensae (Table Mountain) in reference to the famous mountain in Cape Town.

Captain Gordon's 1779 mentioning of the Khoekhoe term for the Table Mountain.

Etymology and History

The Indigenous peoples in the Western Cape area of South Africa, the San and Khoekhoe, had names for the famous Table Mountain before the Europeans arrived. In the San and Khoekhoe language it was called Huriǂoaxa, the Sea Mountain (lit. 'sea-emerging').

This term is perhaps the earliest known (written) name for this mountain because it is mentioned in the journal of Captain Robert Jacob Gorden on his fourth journey in 1779:

"de Oude hottentotten hieten de Caap hoerie ḱwaggo of de zeeberg de emphasies op ieder der laatste syllabe van het woord”

in translation

“The old Hottentots call Cape Town hoerie ḱwaggo or sea-mountain, with the stress on the last syllable of each word”.

IAU Working Group Star Names

The name was suggested to IAU WGSN by members of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town. WGSN adopted the name in the IAU-CSN.