naming conventions - Why do generics often use T?

Question

Is there any reason for the use of 'T' in generics? Is it some kind of abbreviation? As far as I know, everything works. For example

public G Say<G>(){ ... }

or even

public Hello Say<Hello>(){ ... }

Answer 1

T is for Type. But it's really just a tradition and there is nothing to prevent you from using other names. For example, generic dictionaries use <TKey, TValue>.

There is also a Microsoft guideline that recommends using the letter T if you have a single type parameter, and prefix descriptive parameter names with T if you have more than one. Doing so will provide a more consistent feel across your code.