Transcription: A photograph of an Ethernet port with a label that reads “Internet hole”, along with some Chinese writing.

  • @Sanyanov
    link
    118 months ago

    Chinese normally come up with some ways to use old terms to describe new things.

    First character means “net” (can also be fishing or spider net)

    Second means “line, route” (also way, sequence)

    Third means, well, “hole” (but also socket)

    As a combination of first and second we have “net line” - the Internet, or really any interconnected net like a power grid. Third doesn’t need an explanation, I think.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      10
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Kind of interesting that both English and Chinese ended up describing the internet as a form of “net” or (spider)“web”

      • @abbotsbury
        link
        28 months ago

        Well, it makes sense when you think about how it describes the same concept.