Keyword choice: inout/set/sink have different context

[lonetech]

Each of these uses a different frame of reference, despite being options for the same field. Can't they be unified at all?

inout: Possibly inherited from Ada, very clear, uses inside or outside the call boundary. Exists before and after call, but may change.
sink: Possibly from gstreamer? Is the analogy water in a kitchen? Means consumed by call.
set: Imperative verb. Easily confused with e.g. set theory. Means produced by call.
Nothing: Absence of keyword. Default is non-destructive input. Means may be read.

E.g. one imperative form might be modify/take/put/read.