Unix

Meaning

1. An operating system that shares the original source code by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.
2. An operating system largely compatible with Unix that qualifies for use of the UNIX trademark, currently owned by The Open Group.
3. Alternative letter-case form of Unix.
4. Any of the above plus Unix-like operating systems similar to Unix but not qualifying for use of the UNIX trademark.

Etymology / origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multi- Proto-Indo-European *pel-der.? Latin -plex Latin multiplexlbor. English multiplexed Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Late Latin in- Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ)der.? Late Latin fōrma Late Latin fōrmō Late Latin īnfōrmō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Late Latin -tiō Late Latin īnfōrmātiōder. Middle English enformacioun English information Latin computārelbor. French computerbor. English computing Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.? Proto-Italic *serwos Latin servus Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin -itia Latin servitiumbor. Old French servisebor. Old English serfis Middle English servise English service English Multiplexed Information and Computing Service English Multics ▲ English eunuchinflu. English Unix A pun on Multics to sound like eunuchs, as Unix was considered to be an emasculated Multics (see multi- and uni-). Likely coined by Canadian computer scientist Brian Kernighan in 1970.

Sources

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