## <a name="HURD_Hird_of_Unix_Replacing_Daem"> </a> HURD - Hird of Unix Replacing Daemons

From [gnu.org](http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd.html#TOCintroduction): the GNU project's replacement for the Unix kernel. The Hurd is a collection of servers that run on the Mach microkernel to implement file systems, network protocols, file access control, and other features that are implemented by the Unix kernel or similar kernels (such as Linux).

The Hurd development effort is a somewhat separate project from the Debian GNU/Hurd port of a full GNU operating system. The Hurd is the last piece of the full GNU operating system goal.

## <a name="HIRD_Hurd_of_Interfaces_Represen"> </a> HIRD - Hurd of Interfaces Representing Depth

One contributor from Norway also described two other uses of Hird.

* "the kings men",a name given to

the men accompanying the norwegian kings at about year 1000 and on. This was later coined by V.Quisling when he formed a party with nationalistic traits to denote a set of helpers promoting his agenda of national &amp; nordic ideas.

* A symbol of collaboration with the (German) enemy used in World War II.

## <a name="Why_the_word_HURD_"> </a> Why the word HURD?

[Quoting ](http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/help-hurd/2002-10/msg00099.html) Thomas Bushnell, BSG:

The name "Hurd" was invented by me, as an alternate spelling for the English word "herd". "Hird" is just another alternate spelling for the same word. By the normal rules of English orthography, they all have the same pronounciations.

Other pages that describe the names are on [gnu.org](http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd.html#TOCname).

Perhaps unrelated: the "herd menatality" of folks is what the Hurd project and the the GNU project in general is fighting against...

See also the FAQ, [Relation between GNU and the Hurd](http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/faq.en.html#q1-2).