Why config file of vi is not named .virc but .exrc?

Question

Just from curiosity I want to know why .exrc is not named .virc? Is there reason for it?

Answer 1

From http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/7908799/xcu/vi.html

The vi (visual) utility is a screen-oriented text editor. The user can switch back and forth between vi and the line editor ex and execute ex commands from within vi.

So, mainly due to its historical relationship to ex. If you use a modern vi variant like vim, then you'd be using .vimrc.