5 ms·

'Ping' (the word) is older (as in: 1835 old) than the 'ICMP Ping'.

• 13of40 10y ago
  I always thought it came from old fashioned submarine sonar. What would it have meant in 1835?
  • Programmatic 10y ago
    It referred to a "high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound" (the bullet pinged off his helmet). SONAR uses noises that sound similar, so SONAR emanations became pings and then it became associated with echo/response at that point.
  • accounthere 10y ago
    I thought it came from ping pong. As in you send a "ping" and it responds with a "pong".
    • awqrre 10y ago
      reminds me of mIRC's "Ping? Pong!" events...