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Original · left

Trojan (Troy)

A historical citizen or defender of the ancient Bronze Age city of Troy.

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

Trojan horse (malware)

Malware intentionally masquerading as benign, useful utility software to trick a user into downloading and executing it.

First in use: c. 1974

Trojan / Trojan (Troy) / Trojan horse (malware)

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The Iliad vs. malware.

Which meaning of Trojan is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Trojan (Troy) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Trojan horse (malware) arrived in 1974. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Trojan (Troy)Trojan horse (malware)
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

Trojan (Troy)

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Duplicate · c. 1974

Trojan horse (malware)

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More duplicated terms

Cybersecurity