A little bit vs. Shannon's binary digit.
Which meaning of Bit is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Bit (small piece) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Bit (computing) arrived in 1948. The data below shows which one owns the word now.
Wikipedia pageviews since 2015
Bit (small piece)Bit (computing)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.
Duplicate's share of attention
Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does
The case for each meaning
Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes
Original · ancient / pre-modern
Bit (small piece)
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12-mo pageviews—
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Duplicate · c. 1948
Bit (computing)
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More duplicated terms
Programming & software
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