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Naming and Origin

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github-actions[bot] edited this page Jun 29, 2026 · 1 revision

Naming & Origin

Why the project is called Kyto and why the compiler is called kura.

The short version

Name Role Idea
Kyto The programming language A short, ownable name for the language and its files (.kyto, kyto.toml)
kura The compiler CLI From Japanese 蔵 (kura) — a storehouse or vault; local, private, under your control

The language is Kyto. The program that compiles it is kura — like Rust and rustc, but with a name that reflects where config and secrets are meant to live.

Kyto — the language name

Kyto was chosen as the public name for the language and project format.

Design goals for the name:

  • Short — easy to type in repos, docs, and file extensions
  • Distinct — unlikely to collide with common package names or CLI tools
  • Neutral — reads clearly in terminals and URLs (voidmute/kyto)
  • File-native — natural extensions: .kyto, .kyto.config, kyto.toml, kyto/main.kyto

Kyto is what a repository is "written in." Releases, documentation, and the GitHub project use the Kyto name because they describe the language and ecosystem—not a single binary.

kura — the compiler name

kura is the compiler: the tool invoked as kura compile, kura check, kura encrypt, and so on.

The name comes from Japanese 蔵 (kura), meaning storehouse or vault—a place where valuable things are kept locally, not broadcast or outsourced. That fits the toolchain's core ideas:

Concept How kura fits
Privacy-first Compilation stays on the machine; no network, no telemetry
Secrets Optional encrypt / decrypt; keys in KYTO_KEY or ~/.config/kyto/key
Config as treasure .kyto.config and .kyto sources are the canonical store; kura compile unlocks and distributes artifacts
Local-only The vault does not phone home

So kura is not just a random CLI name—it is the vault keeper: it reads what is stored in a Kyto project and produces .env, SQL, TypeScript, JSON, and deploy scripts without sending data elsewhere.

Why two names instead of one?

Mature language ecosystems separate language identity from compiler binary:

Language Compiler
Rust rustc
Go go
Haskell ghc
Kyto kura

Practical reasons:

  1. GitHub releases are labeled Kyto (the project); the zip contains the kura binary.
  2. PATH stays short: kura compile is faster to type than kyto-compile.
  3. Mental model stays clear: "Kyto project, compiled with kura."

There is no kyto executable today—only kura.

How the names work together

Kyto project/                 ← language & layout
  kyto.toml
  .kyto.config
  kyto/main.kyto
        │
        ▼
   kura compile               ← vault keeper reads & emits
        │
        ▼
  .env, generated/*.sql, …   ← artifacts leave the vault in controlled form

Pronunciation

Name Suggestion
Kyto KY-toh — two syllables, stress on the first
kura KOO-rah — as in Japanese 蔵

Exact pronunciation is flexible; consistency within a team matters more than one "correct" accent.

Related pages

Credits

Naming and design intent documented by voidmute, creator of the Kyto project.

Kyto Wiki

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