Etymology

linux

L1I1N1U1X8

Today it means: Any unix-like operating system that uses the Linux kernel. Full definition →

English Unix ← Middle English servise ← Old English serfis
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The story

  1. Ancient GreekΛῖνος (Lînos)
  2. LatinLinus
  3. EnglishLinus
  4. Proto-Indo-European*mel-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ml̥tós?
  6. Proto-Italic*moltos
  7. Latinmulti-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*pel-der.?
  9. Latinmultiplex
  10. Englishmultiplexed
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  12. Proto-Italic*en
  13. Proto-Italic*en-
  14. Latinin-
  15. Ancient Greekμορφή (morphḗ)der.?
  16. Latinfōrma
  17. Latinfōrmō
  18. Latinīnfōrmō
  19. Late Latinīnfōrmātiō
  20. Middle Englishenformacioun
  21. Englishinformation
  22. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  23. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  24. Proto-Italic*kom
  25. Proto-Italic*kom-
  26. Latincon-
  27. Latinputus
  28. Latinputō
  29. Latincomputō
  30. Latincomputāre
  31. Frenchcomputer
  32. Englishcomputing
  33. Proto-Indo-European*ser-der.?
  34. Proto-Italic*serwos
  35. Latinservus
  36. Latinservitium
  37. Old Frenchservise
  38. Old Englishserfis
  39. Middle Englishservise
  40. Englishservice
  41. EnglishMultiplexed Information and Computing Service
  42. EnglishMultics
  43. Englisheunuchinflu.
  44. EnglishUnix
  45. English todayLinux

Blend of Linus + Unix, from the name of its creator Linus Torvalds.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.