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> NVIDIAs moat Offtopic, but your comment finally pushed me over the edge to semantic satiation [1] regarding the word "moat". It is incredible how this word t

> NVIDIAs moat Offtopic, but your comment finally pushed me over the edge to semantic satiation [1] regarding the word "moat". It is incredible how this word turned up a short while ago and now it seems to be a key ingredient of every second comment. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation

mikestew 2y ago
It is incredible how this word turned up a short while ago… I’m sure if I looked, I could find quotes from Warren Buffet (the recognized originator of the term) going back a few decades. But your point stands.
- mikeyouse 2y ago
  Yeah, he's been talking about "economic moats" since at least the 1990s. At least since 1995; https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1995.html https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1995.html
  - pillefitz 2y ago
    Nobody claimed it's a new word. Still, the frequency increased 100x over the last days, subjectively speaking.
- kccqzy 2y ago
  The earliest occurrence of the word "moat" that I could find online from Buffett is from 1986: https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1986.html https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1986.html That shareholder letter is charmingly old-school. Unfortunately letters before 1977 weren't available online so I wasn't able to search. It also helps that I've been to several cities with an actual moat so this word is familiar to me.
fastasucan 2y ago
The word moat was first used in english in the 15th century https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moat https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moat
- neuronic 2y ago
  Yes my wording was rubbish I should have said "tuned up" in the HN bubble. Quick ctrl-f shows 35 uses in this thread without loading all comments. I did not mean that it was literally invented a short while ago - a few months ago I had to look up what it means though (not native English).
ljw1004 2y ago
I'm struggling to understand how a moat can have a CRACK in it.
- nateglims 2y ago
  perhaps if the moat is kept in place by some sort of berm or quay
cwmoore 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion

mikestew 2y ago

It is incredible how this word turned up a short while ago… I’m sure if I looked, I could find quotes from Warren Buffet (the recognized originator of the term) going back a few decades. But your point stands.

mikeyouse 2y ago
Yeah, he's been talking about "economic moats" since at least the 1990s. At least since 1995; https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1995.html https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1995.html
- pillefitz 2y ago
  Nobody claimed it's a new word. Still, the frequency increased 100x over the last days, subjectively speaking.
kccqzy 2y ago
The earliest occurrence of the word "moat" that I could find online from Buffett is from 1986: https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1986.html https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1986.html That shareholder letter is charmingly old-school. Unfortunately letters before 1977 weren't available online so I wasn't able to search. It also helps that I've been to several cities with an actual moat so this word is familiar to me.

fastasucan 2y ago

The word moat was first used in english in the 15th century https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moat https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moat

neuronic 2y ago
Yes my wording was rubbish I should have said "tuned up" in the HN bubble. Quick ctrl-f shows 35 uses in this thread without loading all comments. I did not mean that it was literally invented a short while ago - a few months ago I had to look up what it means though (not native English).

ljw1004 2y ago

I'm struggling to understand how a moat can have a CRACK in it.

nateglims 2y ago
perhaps if the moat is kept in place by some sort of berm or quay

cwmoore 2y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion