What is the meaning of fork() and grep in Linux?
api, fork, grep, linux
Solution
Fork can mean to split in two, as a road (source).
Fork (15): to divide into branches.
Grep's etymology:
From an idiomatic command sequence in the qed and ed text editors: ‘g/re/p’, meaning: globally search for a regular expression and print.
This answer lists the etymology of some Linux commands.
Problem
As a non-native English speaker, I have difficulty remembering Linux commands compared to other APIs. In Linux, the function names don't seem to indicate their purpose. Why is the name `fork()` chosen to create a child process? In the dictionary, `fork` means "a utensil with two or more prongs", which is unrelated to creating a new process. Why is the name `grep` chosen to "print lines matching a pattern"? Does `grep` mean "g report"? Where can I find the etymology behind other commands in the Linux API?