(Programming in M4sh): Ethymology of M4sh.

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 047d31bdef842e0f6e228e1bc4195d2d1027d3b3..250832b082ce2f6cb4e9a36123316c9872d36c72 100644 (file)
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 2002-07-19  Akim Demaille  <akim@epita.fr>
 
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Function Portability): `exit'.
+       (Programming in M4sh): Ethymology of M4sh.
 
 2002-07-19  Akim Demaille  <akim@epita.fr>
 

diff --git a/README-alpha b/README-alpha
index 1e767443f4fab6f615179fc9c8da84895c180d6c..399c0ee24bef46e4887e56bb4e39926dad90fe3a 100644 (file)
--- a/README-alpha
+++ b/README-alpha
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ users.
 
 -----
 
-Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Autoconf.
 
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 GNU General Public License for more details.
 
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-along with autoconf; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
+along with GNU Autoconf; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
 the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
 Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.

diff --git a/doc/autoconf.texi b/doc/autoconf.texi
index 6f7dc82cc56ec130e3077d4979d01b36e2cd2ad7..ddd004419172223db7f0dab7aadfe49375d27b4a 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/autoconf.texi
+++ b/doc/autoconf.texi
@@ -7600,8 +7600,29 @@ Any token matching @var{pattern} is allowed, including if it matches an
 @c FIXME: Eventually will become a chapter, as it is not related to
 @c programming in M4 per se.
 
-M4sh is aiming at producing portable Bourne shell scripts.  For the time
-being, it is not mature enough to be widely used.
+M4sh, pronounce ``mash'', is aiming at producing portable Bourne shell
+scripts.  This name was coined by Lars J. Aas, who notes thats,
+according to the Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913):
+
+@quotation
+Mash \Mash\, n. [Akin to G. meisch, maisch, meische, maische, mash,
+wash, and prob. to AS. miscian to mix. See ``Mix''.]
+
+@enumerate 1
+@item
+A mass of mixed ingredients reduced to a soft pulpy state by beating or
+pressure@enddots{}
+
+@item
+A mixture of meal or bran and water fed to animals.
+
+@item
+A mess; trouble. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
+@end enumerate
+@end quotation
+
+
+For the time being, it is not mature enough to be widely used.
 
 M4sh provides portable alternatives for some common shell constructs
 that unfortunately are not portable in practice.