GNU

Meanings

1. Abbreviation of government of national unity.

1. The Free Software Foundation's project to develop a free UNIX-like operating system, including the legal framework, such as the source code and documentation licenses.

1. A large antelope of the genus Connochaetes, native to Africa, having curved horns.

Etymology

Etymology tree ▲ English GNU Proto-West Germanic *naiw Proto-Germanic *wihtą Proto-West Germanic *wiht Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht Old English nāwiht Old English *nōht Middle English nought Middle English not English not 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 Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin com- Proto-Indo-European *pewH- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *puHtós Proto-Italic *putos Latin putus? Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin putō Latin computō Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre 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 English gnuinflu. English GNU's not Unixacronym English GNU Coined by Richard Stallman in 1983 as a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not Unix”, following convention of naming programs similar to or inspired by existing programs as “(New Name) Is Not (Old Name)”; compare Xinu. Specifically influenced by lack of English words of form ?nu (“?NU is Not Unix”), that gnu is the alphabetically first (and in fact only) English word of the form ?nu (“?’s Not Unix”), that gnu was perceived as a humorous word, and the existence of the song “The Gnu”.