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Original · left

Platform (stage or station)

A flat, raised wooden structure used by public speakers or passengers waiting for a train.

First in use: the 1500s
Duplicate · right

Computing platform

The foundational operating environment, hardware architecture, or operating system upon which applications are built and executed.

First in use: the 1980s

Platform / Platform (stage or station) / Computing platform

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Canonical todayMeasuring…
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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Train platforms vs. app platforms.

Which meaning of Platform is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Platform (stage or station) came first (the 1500s). Computing platform arrived in the 1980s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Platform (stage or station)Computing platform
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

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1500s

Platform (stage or station)

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Duplicate · the 1980s

Computing platform

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software