ol doinyo ilgoon

While pinpointing definitively "ancient" names with precise origins can be challenging due to the passage of time and reliance on oral traditions, here are some of the known older names for Mount Elgon and their likely origins:

* **Masaba:** This is a very significant and old name for the mountain, particularly among the **Bagisu** (or Bamasaba) people of Uganda. They consider Mount Elgon to be the embodiment of their founding father, **Masaba**. Therefore, they often refer to the mountain directly by his name, highlighting their deep ancestral and spiritual connection to it.

* **Ol Doinyo Ilgoon:** This name comes from the **Maasai** people. "Ol Doinyo" means "mountain" in Maa, and "Ilgoon" translates to "breast." Thus, the name "Ol Doinyo Ilgoon" means **"Breast Mountain."** This name likely originates from the visual appearance of some of Mount Elgon's conical peaks, which resemble the shape of a woman's breasts when viewed from certain angles across the plains.

* **Elgonyi:** This is another Maasai name for the mountain. The Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson explored the southern side of the mountain in 1883. It's believed that the current name "Elgon" is a mispronunciation or adaptation of this Maasai term "Elgonyi" by European explorers.

* **Gony:** The **Kalenjin** people also have a name connected to the mountain's shape. They believe its name derived from "**gony**," which means a **woman's breast** in their language. This aligns with the Maasai interpretation of the mountain's form. The **Sabaot**, a sub-tribe of the Kalenjin living around Mount Elgon, are considered the keepers of authentic Kalenjin tradition and their homeland is referred to as **Kapkugo** (meaning grandparents'/ancestors' place), indicating a long-standing connection to the mountain.

It's important to note that these names often reflect the perspectives and languages of the communities who have lived around the mountain for generations, highlighting either its spiritual significance, physical appearance, or its role as an ancestral homeland. The name "Mount Elgon" itself is of more recent, likely 19th-century European origin, derived from the Maasai term "Elgonyi."