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Original · left

Splash (water)

The sound or act of liquid striking a surface.

First in use: the 1700s
Duplicate · right

Splash screen

The full-screen image shown while an app or program launches.

First in use: the 1980s

Splash / Splash (water) / Splash screen

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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

Cannonballs vs. launch screens.

Which meaning of Splash is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Splash (water) came first (the 1700s). Splash screen arrived in the 1980s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Splash (water)Splash screen
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 1700s

Splash (water)

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Duplicate · the 1980s

Splash screen

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More duplicated terms

Design & UX