What is html?

H-T-M-L are initials that stand for HyperText Markup Language (computer people love initials and acronyms -- you'll be talking acronyms ASAP). Let me break it down for you:

Hyper is the opposite of linear. It used to be that computer programs had to move in a linear fashion. This before this, this before this, and so on. HTML does not hold to that pattern and allows the person viewing the World Wide Web page to go anywhere, any time they want.

Text is what you will use. Real, honest to goodness English letters.

Mark up is what you will do. You will write in plain English and then mark up what you wrote. More to come on that in the next Primer.

Language because they needed something that started with "L" to finish HTML and Hypertext Markup Louie didn't flow correctly. Because it's a language, really -- but the language is plain English.