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So here's the deal: I have been exposed to databases and the like
for many years, and one thing that continues to pop
up in my face, laughing and prodding me, is the pronunciation
of 'SQL'. I have been brought up on the notion that it is an
acronym standing for 'Structured Query Language', and should
be pronounced as such, not made into a word that has very little
to do with the entity behind the acronym.
Early in 2004, I went on a virtual crusade to accumulate at least
a few credible sources of the correct verbal representation of
'SQL'. Below are a few examples of what I found, along with a
reference to who said it. Keep in mind I'm an avid MySQL user,
so obviously the reference from them goes on top ;)
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From http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/what-is.html:
The official way to pronounce ``MySQL'' is ``My Ess Que Ell'' (not ``my sequel''),
but we don't mind if you pronounce it as ``my sequel'' or in some other localized way.
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[1]
Subject: SQL pronunciation
From: technicalwriter <martinr -at- ASL -dot- DL -dot- NEC -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 1994 11:38:50 CDT
This issue is a bit fuzzy in my mind, but here's my 2 cents:
the relational database gurus around here, as far as I can
tell, always utter the letters S-Q-L, never "sequel."
Furthermore, to add to the history, SQL meant Structured Query
Language, but one of those gurus had me take out the expansion
"Structured Query Language" from our relational database
documentation. As evidence, he showed me some statement from
an expensive ($150) book, from some database or standardization
authority, that explained that Structured Query Language was
the original meaning of SQL, but due to the term's generic
nature (or something like that), SQL should no longer be
expanded to Structured Query Language.
Whereas everyone I encounter says "scuzzy," as opposed to S-C-S-I,
I can tell you that there is at least one group of database
pros who do not say "sequel."
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Jim Melton, editor of the ISO SQL-92 standard, covered this in his book
_Understanding the New SQL_ (Morgan Kaufmann):
"1.2 What is SQL?
SQL (correctly pronounced "ess cue ell," instead of the somewhat common
"sequel"), is a data sublanguage ..."
He also explains 'Structured Query Language' is archaic:
"Many books and article "define" SQL by parenthetically claiming the letters
stand for Structured Query Language. While this was true for the original
prototypes, it is not true of the standard..."
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[3]
By the way, the correct pronunciation of SQL is a contentious issue within
the database community. In their SQL standard, the American National
Standards Institute declared that the official pronunciation is "es queue el."
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SQL was originally created by IBM, but many vendors developed dialects of
it. It was adopted as a standard by the American National Standards
Institute(ANSI) in 1986 and ISO in 1987. In their SQL standard, the ANSI
declared that the official pronunciation for SQL is "es queue el".
However, many database professionals have taken to the "slang"
pronunciation sequel, that reflects the language's original name, Sequel,
before trademark conflicts caused IBM to perpetrate the current moniker.
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[5]
From http://www.answers.com/topic/mysql:
Pronunciation
Despite the widespread pronunciation of "SQL" as the word "sequel," MySQL AB
recommends that "MySQL" be pronounced as [maɪ ɛs kjuː ɛl] (IPA for "My S-Q-L"),
not [maɪ siːkwəl] (IPA for "My Sequel") (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/What-is.html#IDX25).
This may have been to avoid confusion with the earlier database language SEQUEL
which was a predecessor of SQL.
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Now you can see from these sources that my assumption that 'SQL' stands
for 'Structured Query Language' is not technically correct, although a
common assumption. However, two standards organizations and industry professionals
back up my assertion of the correct pronunciation of 'SQL'. This was my
primary and ultimate goal.
So who is to blame for this blatant inconsistency? I have yet to take
a formal course in database administration, which I will be doing next
semester, but I'll bet you anything I will hear 'sequel' uttered in that class.
Why would instructors give students incorrect information, when the correct
information is so readily available? It's not like there is a hot debate
over the correct pronunciation - it's written in a standard in two places!
While it is noted above that at one time the language was called 'Sequel', it should
also be noted that it had to be changed for legal reasons. Not only was it changed,
but it was changed a long time ago! So why would people who were scarcely old enough
to be using Commodore 64s be calling SQL by its original moniker?
Now that you have heard my rant, and observed some credible sources with your
own eyes, what do you think? Are you a 'sequel' user or an 'SQL' user? Where
did you first hear either term and has your usage changed over the course of
time? Let me know by sending an email to
zack@darksavagemd.com.
I'll be happy to post your thoughts and opinions as well.
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