iPhone Quiz: What Does Siri Really Mean?
- Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:15am by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
Apple's Siri (Image: Apple)
Have you wondered how Apple ever arrived at the name Siri for its voice-activated personal assistant in iPhones? Ever considered just what Siri means, but it was never worth your time to actually ask Siri for the answer to that question?
We can save you the time and tell you now. The short answer is the Siri stands for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface, but there‘s a more poetic meaning behind the software’s name.
(Image via TechCrunch)
TechCrunch reports that Siri, before it became an Apple product, was a company that developed an app co-founded by Dag Kittlaus. Siri as we know it now was acquired by Apple in 2010. Kittlaus tells TechCrunch more on the original meaning of the name he chose when helped create the app and Siri, Inc. in 2007:
Siri means “beautiful woman who leads you to victory” in Norwegian and Kittlaus owned the siri.com domain. He was planning on naming a child after said beautiful woman but his first child was a boy. Instead, he named his product after her.
Once Apple bought the company, Kittlaus was brought into Apple HQ to speak to Scott Forstall. After a bit of hemming and hawing, he was sent to meet with Steve Jobs in secret.
“And he wanted me to come over to his house the next day, and I did, and I spent 3 hours with him in front of his fireplace having this surreal conversation about the future. And, you know, he talked about why Apple was going to win, and we talked about how Siri was doing. And he was very excited about the fact that. You know, he was very interested in this area in general but, you know, they’re patient, they don’t jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new and he felt that we cracked it. So that was his attraction.”
Comments (21)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 696 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 519 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 353 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 346 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 342 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 342 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 346 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 260 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 342 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
TROONORTH
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 8:20pmApple is not a technical innovator. Their strength lies in taking existing technology and re-packaging it into slick products which they then market to their cult like customers.
Report Post »orlandojon
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 9:33pmYou got Apple mixed up with Google, they try to copy everything Apple does
Report Post »killertofu
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 10:05amI thought Siri was just Engrish for “silly”
Report Post »suffolkva
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 10:39amLOL!! Good one. :)
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:15am“Beautiful woman who leads you to victory?” Must be talking about the old prior to World War One, and Two America. Because people can say what they want to, but a nation where the idea is taught that women mold men into being good husbands for the women, isn’t a nation where men “In their souls” love their wives. And the slightest bit of hardship will break it all apart like a bowling ball against pins.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:19amCome to think of it, a beer stein showing gnomes bowling kind of reminds me of that concept. Funny how the truth is always flaunted in our face eh?
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:25amYou people are one hell of a burden I’m getting tired of carrying. A stupid unthoughtful bunch.
Report Post »gooeylewie
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:32amI think someone forgot to take his meds…
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:36amTimmy…that mental institution you reside in should keep you off the internet on Fridays. I know you are like Houdini and can escape your straight jacket, but that is no excuse. They need better supervision to keep you in line…
Report Post »And I see the anti phycotic meds arent working either…
Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:45amgooeylewie,
Report Post »No, you are the mental case absorbed into your own glory, and you all resort to Alinsky tactics when the truth is set before you, because you are an arrogant useless people who will not pluck their idols from their mind’s eye for even a moment to look around.
Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:49amI can guaranty you, the Lord is going to kick your idol loving, money grubbing American butts to the curb.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:58amAnd you wicked people sit there on your lores looking at even the blacks in America saying to yourself “Oh, look how welfare has made them spiritually dead.” Really, have you looked at yourself lately? Because you’re all pretty much spiritually dead.
Report Post »gooeylewie
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:34pma little judgmental aren’t we?
I’m curious how you know anything about me from the one sentence that I posted earlier.
must be all those voices you keep hearing in your head…
Report Post »oh wait, I think that mother is calling you. And she say‘s that you’ve been a very naughty boy…
gooeylewie
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:37pmI’m curious how you know so much about me from the one sentence that I wrote earlier….
a bit judgmental for someone who speaks with such religious zealotry…
perhaps it was just all those voices that you keep hearing in your head. Oh wait. I think that mother is calling for you again, and she says that you have been a very naughty boy…
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:18pmI hate to be the bearer of bad news Timmy, but I am a Conservative Christian woman and I am begging you, please, please take your meds. You sound ridiculous and you answer yourself; that in itself is signs of a mental disorder. Are you a member of the Westboro Church?
Report Post »80mesh
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 6:21amwhoa…… i am if norsk decent …and am highly offended to hear that racial profiling …. of rape pillage and plunder, for the record i have never raped once.
pillage and plunder is another matter though
lolz
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 3:30amApple must be thinking about… the Vikings: Rape, Pillage, & Plunder!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 6:12amActually, Steve Jobs hated the name. Problem was, he hadn’t come up with a better one before he died. Apple bought the company that came up with the technology, and that company’s founder had named it Siri after a woman he once worked with.
I don’t care for the name, but at least I don’t have to say the name to use it. It would be nice to have more voice options like with GPS. It’s a great concept, but way too buggy right now. Too often you get, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to…” or the all too often errors telling you it cant connect to the network. Apple’s servers are frequently overwhelmed by Siri requests, so they have some scaling to do.
My absolute biggest complaint is when I try to ask “her” to find a “Joseph A Bank.” the response? “Here are a number of banks in your area.” Likewise a search for various business names results in Siri trying to search your contacts for a PERSON by that name, and a resulting error.
Right now, it is above the “novelty” stage but below the “utility” stage. Lots of promise though! I’m just surprised Apple is rushing products out the door lately. Their mantra and slogan was, “it just works.”. Lately? Not so much. Come on, Apple!!
Report Post »youdidthis
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:26amThe President who told the Truth about illuminati Vlad TV
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20KDBELD20I&feature=related
Apple Bite
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:24am“Siri means “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”
Report Post »I guess…since Nike was taken.
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:21amSIRI:
Stop
Inquiring
Retarded
Idiots
Love Steve Jobs.
PS, buy my new phone, morons.
Report Post »