Question - What does "MySQL" stand for?

Databases
1

Hey everyone,

I’ve been programming PHP and MySQL for some time now and I just had the thought in my head.

“What does ‘MySQL’ stand for ?”

I’m sure that it stands for something, but what ?

If anyone knows, then please post it.

Thanks. :slight_smile:

Best Regards,

2

They sure don’t stand for trying to adhere to SQL standards :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway…

1.2.1 History of MySQL

We started out with the intention of using mSQL to connect to our tables using our own fast low-level (ISAM) routines. However, after some testing, we came to the conclusion that mSQL was not fast enough or flexible enough for our needs. This resulted in a new SQL interface to our database but with almost the same API interface as mSQL. This API was designed to allow third-party code that was written for use with mSQL to be ported easily for use with MySQL.

The derivation of the name MySQL is not clear. Our base directory and a large number of our libraries and tools have had the prefix ``my’’ for well over 10 years. However, co-founder Monty Widenius’s daughter is also named My. Which of the two gave its name to MySQL is still a mystery, even for us.

The name of the MySQL Dolphin (our logo) is Sakila. Sakila was chosen by the founders of MySQL AB from a huge list of names suggested by users in our ``Name the Dolphin’’ contest. The winning name was submitted by Ambrose Twebaze, an open source software developer from Swaziland, Africa. According to Ambrose, the name Sakila has its roots in SiSwati, the local language of Swaziland. Sakila is also the name of a town in Arusha, Tanzania, near Ambrose’s country of origin, Uganda.

http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/History.html

3

Thanks, I never would have looked there.

Hmm, I did not know that the dolphin in the MySQL logo was named “Sakila”…

4

SQL stands for Standard Query Language. My, if I dare guess, stands for “my”. :slight_smile:

5

Structured Query Language, shurely…?

6

ummm…no: :wink:

http://www.google.com/search?q="standard+query+language"&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

7

SQL does stand for Structured Query Language.

Just for reference: http://www.faqs.org/docs/ppbook/c1164.htm

8

buddy bradley is right (and don’t call me shurely)

please don’t anyone ask how to pronounce it, okay?

:wink:

9

Well, I don’t ask, but I pronounce it as :

‘My-ess-que-ell’

10

Sounds good to me however, what about ‘those’ people who call it…

My see-quell, or My sequel