有个别不是缩略词，但语源很有趣，涉及基本命令，目录，文件，变量等。

/bin = BINaries
/dev = DEVices
/etc = ETCetera
/lib = LIBrary
/proc = PROCesses
/sbin = Superuser BINaries
/tmp = TeMPorary
/usr = Unix Shared Resources
/var = VARiable ?
FIFO = First In, First Out
GRUB = GRand Unified Bootloader
IFS = Internal Field Seperators
LILO = LInux LOader
MySQL = My是最初作者女儿的名字，SQL = Structured Query Language
PHP = Personal Home Page Tools = PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
PS = Prompt String
Perl = "Pratical Extraction and Report Language" = "Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister"
Python 得名于电视剧Monty Python's Flying Circus
Tcl = Tool Command Language
Tk = ToolKit
VT = Video Terminal
YaST = Yet Another Setup Tool
apache = "a patchy" server
apt = Advanced Packaging Tool
ar = archiver
as = assembler
awk = "Aho Weiberger and Kernighan" 三个作者的姓的第一个字母
bash = Bourne Again SHell
bc = Basic (Better) Calculator
bg = BackGround
biff = 作者Heidi Stettner在U.C.Berkely养的一条狗,喜欢对邮递员汪汪叫。
cal = CALendar
cat = CATenate
cd = Change Directory
chgrp = CHange GRouP
chmod = CHange MODe
chown = CHange OWNer
chsh = CHange SHell
cmp = compare
cobra = Common Object Request Broker Architecture
comm = common
cp = CoPy
cpio = CoPy In and Out
cpp = C Pre Processor
cron = Chronos 希腊文时间
cups = Common Unix Printing System
cvs = Current Version System
daemon = Disk And Execution MONitor
dc = Desk Calculator
dd = Disk Dump
df = Disk Free
diff = DIFFerence
dmesg = diagnostic message
du = Disk Usage
ed = editor
egrep = Extended GREP
elf = Extensible Linking Format
elm = ELectronic Mail
emacs = Editor MACroS
eval = EVALuate
ex = EXtended
exec = EXECute
fd = file descriptors
fg = ForeGround
fgrep = Fixed GREP
fmt = format
fsck = File System ChecK
fstab = FileSystem TABle
fvwm = F*** Virtual Window Manager
gawk = GNU AWK
gpg = GNU Privacy Guard
groff = GNU troff
hal = Hardware Abstraction Layer
joe = Joe's Own Editor
ksh = Korn SHell
lame = Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder
lex = LEXical analyser
lisp = LISt Processing = Lots of Irritating Superfluous Parentheses
ln = LiNk
lpr = Line PRint
ls = list
lsof = LiSt Open Files
m4 = Macro processor Version 4
man = MANual pages
mawk = Mike Brennan's AWK
mc = Midnight Commander
mkfs = MaKe FileSystem
mknod = MaKe NODe
motd = Message of The Day
mozilla = MOsaic GodZILLa
mtab = Mount TABle
mv = MoVe
nano = Nano's ANOther editor
nawk = New AWK
nl = Number of Lines
nm = names
nohup = No HangUP
nroff = New ROFF
od = Octal Dump
passwd = PASSWorD
pg = pager
pico = PIne's message COmposition editor
pine = "Program for Internet News & Email" = "Pine is not Elm"
ping = 拟声 又 = Packet InterNet Grouper
pirntcap = PRINTer CAPability
popd = POP Directory
pr = pre
printf = PRINT Formatted
ps = Processes Status
pty = pseudo tty
pushd = PUSH Directory
pwd = Print Working Directory
rc = runcom = run command, rc还是plan9的shell
rev = REVerse
rm = ReMove
rn = Read News
roff = RunOFF
rpm = RPM Package Manager = RedHat Package Manager
rsh, rlogin, rvim中的r = Remote
rxvt = ouR XVT
seamoneky = 我
sed = Stream EDitor
seq = SEQuence
shar = SHell ARchive
slrn = S-Lang rn
ssh = Secure SHell
ssl = Secure Sockets Layer
stty = Set TTY
su = Substitute User
svn = SubVersioN
tar = Tape ARchive
tcsh = TENEX C shell
tee = T (T形水管接口)
telnet = TEminaL over Network
termcap = terminal capability
terminfo = terminal information
tex = τέχνη的缩写，希腊文art
tr = traslate
troff = Typesetter new ROFF
tsort = Topological SORT
tty = TeleTypewriter
twm = Tom's Window Manager
tz = TimeZone
udev = Userspace DEV
ulimit = User's LIMIT
umask = User's MASK
uniq = UNIQue
vi = VIsual = Very Inconvenient
vim = Vi IMproved
wall = write all
wc = Word Count
wine = WINE Is Not an Emulator
xargs = eXtended ARGuments
xdm = X Display Manager
xlfd = X Logical Font Description
xmms = X Multimedia System
xrdb = X Resources DataBase
xwd = X Window Dump
yacc = yet another compiler compiler


http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/gnuemacs.acro.exp.htm
emacs: Escape Meta Alt Ctrl Shift
emacs: EMACS Makes A Computer Slow


The novice Unix user is always surprised by Unix’s choice of command
names. No amount of training on DOS or the Mac prepares one for the
majestic beauty of cryptic two-letter command names such as cp, rm, and
ls.
Those of us who used early 70s I/O devices suspect the degeneracy stems
from the speed, reliability, and, most importantly, the keyboard of the
ASR-33 Teletype, the common input/output device in those days. Unlike
today’s keyboards, where the distance keys travel is based on feedback
principles, and the only force necessary is that needed to close a
microswitch, keys on the Teletype (at least in memory) needed to travel
over half an inch, and take the force necessary to run a small electric generator
such as those found on bicycles. You could break your knuckles touch
typing on those beasts
If Dennis and Ken had a Selectric instead of a Teletype, we’d probably be
typing “copy” and “remove” instead of “cp” and “rm.”1 Proof again that
technology limits our choices as often as it expands them.
After more than two decades, what is the excuse for continuing this tradition?
The implacable force of history, AKA existing code and books. If a
vendor replaced rm by, say, remove, then every book describing Unix
would no longer apply to its system, and every shell script that calls rm
would also no longer apply. Such a vendor might as well stop implementing
the POSIX standard while it was at it.
A century ago, fast typists were jamming their keyboards, so engineers
designed the QWERTY keyboard to slow them down. Computer keyboards
don’t jam, but we’re still living with QWERTY today. A century
from now, the world will still be living with rm.

以上摘自 http://www.linuxsir.org/bbs/showthread.php?t=260278