Re: Arguing for a nilp function and where to put it

[Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org>]

Roland Winkler wrote:

>> As you know, but it's interesting to those who don't ...
>>
>> (info "(eintr) Strange Names")
>>
>>   The name of the cons function is not unreasonable: it is
>>   an abbreviation of the word "construct". The origins of
>>   the names for car and cdr, on the other hand, are
>>   esoteric: car is an acronym from the phrase "Contents of
>>   the Address part of the Register"; and cdr (pronounced
>>   "could-er") is an acronym from the phrase "Contents of
>>   the Decrement part of the Register". These phrases refer
>>   to specific pieces of hardware on the very early computer
>>   on which the original Lisp was developed.
>>
>> Hm ... That was in 1958? What kind of machine was that?
>
> But (info "(eintr) Strange Names") goes on:
>
>   Besides being obsolete, the phrases have been completely
>   irrelevant for more than 25 years to anyone thinking
>   about Lisp.
>
> When was this written? Maybe 25 years ago? Maybe the number
> should be updated.

But that way, in 25 years, it has to be updated again.

Damn!

-- 
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