a HackerNoon project
Original · left

Troll (folklore)

An ugly, hostile mythical giant or dwarf residing under bridges or inside subterranean caverns.

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

Internet troll

A provocateur who posts intentionally inflammatory, disruptive, or nonsensical messages online to bait outrage and distress.

First in use: the 1990s

Troll / Troll (folklore) / Internet troll

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

Norse monsters vs. comment sections.

Which meaning of Troll is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Troll (folklore) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Internet troll arrived in the 1990s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Troll (folklore)Internet troll
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 · ancient / pre-modern

Troll (folklore)

Loading the Wikipedia definition…

12-mo pageviews—
Year over year—
Peak month—
Duplicate · the 1990s

Internet troll

Loading the Wikipedia definition…

12-mo pageviews—
Year over year—
Peak month—

More duplicated terms

Internet & gaming culture