A Note on the Chinese Name for K2, “Qogir.” The Chinese use “Qogir” for the name of the world’s second highest peak. The Editor and other experts deplore this name. It would be written “Chogir” in our usual orthography. This is obviously a corruption of “Chogori,” a synthetic name made up by Western explorers early in this century from two Balti words: chhogo = big and ri = mountain. It has no local usage. The mountain was not prominently visible from places where local inhabitants ventured and so had no local name. Years ago, the Survey of India assigned the peak a survey number, K(arakoram)2. This still is its official name in Pakistan. Most Pakistanis I know object strenuously to “Chogori” and insist on the use of the official name, K2. In my experience, the Baltis use no other name for the peak than K2, which they pronounce “Ketu.” I strongly recommend against the use of the name Chogori in any of its forms.

H. Adams Carter