EXPERT RESPONSE
Yes, SQL is sometimes pronounced "sequel,"
but mostly by people who have
experience only with Microsoft's database system
SQL Server, usually pronounced "sequel-server,"
which is one of the most commonly used database systems today.
The more accepted pronunciation is "ess cue ell,"
in which each letter is spoken separately.
A few people, for whatever reason, pronounce it "squeal"
or "squirrel" but this is rare. If you're feeling adventurous,
do an Internet search on
google or
alltheweb
using "pronounce SQL" or similar search terms.
SQL dates back to IBM's development
of relational databases in the early 1970's with a
language called SEQUEL (Structured English QUery Language).
Due to copyright problems, IBM had to change the name, so they
chose SQL. Since that time, SQL has evolved considerably.
Several versions of standard SQL have been published,
including SQL-86, SQL-92, and SQL-99.
So SQL by itself should refer only to the language.
You will often see the letters SQL
embedded right in the name of a relational database
system, such as SQL Server, MySQL, Mimer SQL, and PostgreSQL.
Even if the database system name does not mention SQL,
such as DB2, Oracle, Sybase, Access, and so on,
the database system almost certainly supports the SQL
language -- more or less. Many relational database
systems have extensions and additional capabilities
over and above (and, sadly, sometimes in place of)
the specifications in the SQL standard. For More Information
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