Generally speaking, a scripting language comes from the set {Python, Perl, JavaScript, PHP, Lua, Ruby}.<p>Its a tricky term to define, much like "compiler". Actually "compiler" is a nice analogy: everyone knows what one is, but the actual test for "is this a compiler" is shaky, and returns true for lots of things that aren't _really_ compilers.<p>Anyway, Ousterout coined it in his paper on TCL, but annoyingly chose not to formally define it. The set at that time was (I think) {TCL, Perl, sh}.<p>But because he didn't define it properly, the word has been used for years without a proper definition. The best I can do is to say read my PhD thesis, starting on page 7, where I'd spent a meaty six pages explaining in as much detail as I can what it means to be a scripting language.