From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 3308 invoked from network); 21 May 2020 15:13:32 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 21 May 2020 15:13:32 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 2EF7E9C852; Fri, 22 May 2020 01:13:30 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2C51A9C677; Fri, 22 May 2020 01:13:07 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 58A4C9C677; Fri, 22 May 2020 01:13:04 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail.cs.dartmouth.edu (mail.cs.dartmouth.edu [129.170.212.100]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id CAD149C668 for ; Fri, 22 May 2020 01:13:03 +1000 (AEST) Received: from tahoe.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (tahoe.cs.dartmouth.edu [129.170.212.20]) by mail.cs.dartmouth.edu (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPS id 04LFC2Lw251068 (version=TLSv1.3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 21 May 2020 11:12:02 -0400 Received: from tahoe.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by tahoe.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (8.15.2/8.14.3) with ESMTP id 04LFC2Wq006410; Thu, 21 May 2020 11:12:02 -0400 Received: (from doug@localhost) by tahoe.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) id 04LFC2e6006407; Thu, 21 May 2020 11:12:02 -0400 From: Doug McIlroy Message-Id: <202005211512.04LFC2e6006407@tahoe.cs.Dartmouth.EDU> Date: Thu, 21 May 2020 11:12:02 -0400 To: tuhs@tuhs.org, rdm@cfcl.com User-Agent: Heirloom mailx 12.5 7/5/10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [TUHS] algebraic syntax (was v7 K&R C) X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" > for some years I've been using the phrase "algebraic syntax" to > characterize languages such as Algol, C/C++, Fortran, Java(Script), Ruby, etc. ... > However, I can't find this usage in Wikipedia or elsewhere I think "Algol-like" is the closest term in common use, though it doesn't have the exact connotation that I think you intend. Nowadays, I think of languages like Haskell as being "algebraic" in the deeper sense of having taken much inspiration from modern algebra, and being preeminently suitable for application to algebraic domains. Vic Vyssotsky used the term "narrative language" as quite a close synonym of your "algebraic syntax", but I think his usage was equally idiosyncratic. Doug