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Original · left

Legacy (inheritance)

A monetary inheritance, asset, or family reputation bequeathed to posterity in a will.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Legacy system

Obsolete, antiquated computer software or infrastructure that remains in production use because it is critical to operations.

First in use: the 1980s

Legacy / Legacy (inheritance) / Legacy system

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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Inheritances vs. COBOL.

Which meaning of Legacy is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Legacy (inheritance) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Legacy system arrived in the 1980s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Legacy (inheritance)Legacy system
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

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The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Legacy (inheritance)

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Duplicate · the 1980s

Legacy system

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software