PHP stands for "Hypertext Preprocessor" and is a server-side scripting language primarily used for web development. It was originally developed in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf and has since become one of the most widely used programming languages on the web.

PHP is typically executed on the web server, where PHP code is embedded directly into the HTML code of a web page or written in separate files. When a user requests a web page, the PHP code is executed on the server, and the result, usually HTML, is returned to the user's web browser for display.

Key features of PHP include:

1. Simple Syntax: PHP has a relatively straightforward and easy-to-learn syntax, incorporating elements from C, Perl, and other programming languages.

2. Server-Side Processing: PHP is executed on the server before the results are sent to the client (web browser), allowing for the generation of dynamic content that can vary based on user input or other factors.

3. Database Support: PHP has broad support for various databases, making it easy for developers to access and work with data.

4. Widely Used: PHP comes pre-installed on most web servers or is easily available, making it a popular choice for web developers.

5. Open Source: PHP is an open-source language, meaning its source code is freely available and continuously developed and improved by a large community of developers.

Using PHP, developers can create complex web applications, dynamic web pages, content management systems, e-commerce platforms, and much more. It is often used in conjunction with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web technologies to build full-featured and interactive web applications.

Due to its widespread use, there are also many frameworks and libraries available to speed up and simplify web application development with PHP. Some popular PHP frameworks include Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter.

The Zend Framework is an open-source framework for web application and service development in PHP. It was developed by Zend Technologies, a company also known for creating PHP programming language.

Zend Framework was initially released in 2006 and was one of the most popular PHP frameworks. It offered a variety of features and components that helped developers build powerful, scalable, and secure web applications. The framework followed the "Use What You Need" (UWYN) concept, allowing developers to select and use only the components required for their specific needs.

Some of the key features of Zend Framework were:

1. MVC Architecture: It supported the Model-View-Controller pattern, enabling a clean separation of data, presentation, and business logic in an application.

2. Database Support: It provided a flexible database abstraction layer, making it easier to access different databases.

3. Authentication and Authorization: It included components to implement authentication and authorization in web applications.

4. Forms and Validation: It offered features for creating and validating forms.

5. Internationalization Support: It supported internationalization of web applications with translation mechanisms and localization features.

In 2019, the development community decided to transform the project into an independent framework called "Laminas" and officially changed the name to "Laminas." This move aimed to make the framework more accessible to a wider community and emphasize its flexibility and modernity.