zlacker

[parent] [thread] 6 comments
1. driver+(OP)[view] [source] 2018-11-13 00:44:22
It's short for conCATenate.

original man page: http://man.cat-v.org/unix-1st/1/cat

replies(3): >>ccanno+Y >>Isamu+p2 >>rbobby+Bo
2. ccanno+Y[view] [source] 2018-11-13 00:52:59
>>driver+(OP)
Ah now I understand!
3. Isamu+p2[view] [source] 2018-11-13 01:09:31
>>driver+(OP)
Actually catinate, which is a real word but less used. But you are still right.
replies(1): >>LukeSh+S3
◧◩
4. LukeSh+S3[view] [source] [discussion] 2018-11-13 01:26:28
>>Isamu+p2
In the earliest references, it was "concatenate". It wasn't until 7th edition UNIX (1979) that "catenate" was given.

References:

- 1971 draft (pre 1st edition) of the paper that would become the well-known 1974 CACM UNIX paper (earliest documentation on `cat` that I can find): https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/Research/McIlroy_... (tune in on page 28)

- 6th edition cat(1) man page (1975): http://man.cat-v.org/unix-6th/1/cat

- 7th edition cat(1) man page (1979): http://man.cat-v.org/unix_7th/1/cat

replies(1): >>swoopi+AV1
5. rbobby+Bo[view] [source] 2018-11-13 05:46:18
>>driver+(OP)
And that was because it's function was/is to concatenate files:

cat f1 f2 f3 >f4

◧◩◪
6. swoopi+AV1[view] [source] [discussion] 2018-11-13 20:52:30
>>LukeSh+S3
Latin root word "catena", meaning "chain".
replies(1): >>loeg+yt2
◧◩◪◨
7. loeg+yt2[view] [source] [discussion] 2018-11-14 02:22:01
>>swoopi+AV1
Latin root "con-" ("com-") meaning "with," or "together." As in, "concatenate" means something like, "chain together."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-

https://www.etymonline.com/word/concatenate

[go to top]