What do "m" and "k" mean in "m >>= k"?

Question

The notation m >>= k is sometimes used in examples of the Haskell bind function (>>=). Do m and k have any conventional meanings? Why are these particular letters selected? Based on what k does, I am guessing that k means "continuation", but what is m?

Answer 1

In Haskell, m/M is usually short for one of monadic, Map and friends, mutable, or Maybe (roughly in order of popularity). Meanwhile k is usually short for key, short for a misspelling of continuation, or the iteration variable in a deeply nested loop (again roughly in popularity order). Given the (>>=) context, "monadic" and "continuation" seem most likely.