<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>What the name Hurd means - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE> <LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:web-hurd@gnu.org"> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD"> <H3>What the name ``Hurd'' means</H3> <A HREF="/graphics/hurd_sm_mf.jpg"><IMG SRC="/graphics/hurd_sm_mf.jpg" ALT=" [image of a Hurd Metafont Logo] " WIDTH="333" HEIGHT="80"> (jpeg 10k)</A> <A HREF="/graphics/hurd_mf.jpg">(jpeg 20k)</A> <A HREF="/philosophy/gif.html">no gifs due to patent problems</A> <P> "Hurd" stands for "Hird of Unix-Replacing Daemons". And, then, "Hird" stands for "Hurd of Interfaces Representing Depth". <P> We have here, to my knowledge, the first software to be named by a pair of mutually recursive acronyms. <P> ---Thomas (formerly Michael I.) Bushnell <HR> Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>. <P> FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. Other <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">ways to contact</A> the FSF. <P> Comments on these web pages to <A HREF="mailto:web-hurd@gnu.org"><EM>web-hurd@gnu.org</EM></A>, send other questions to <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. <P> Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA <P> Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.<P> Updated: <!-- hhmts start --> 16 Feb 1998 tower <!-- hhmts end --> <HR> </BODY> </HTML>