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nybble /nib'l/ (alt. `nibble') n.
[from v.
`nibble' by analogy with `bite' => `byte'] Four bits;
one hex digit; a half-byte. Though `byte' is now techspeak,
this useful relative is still jargon. Compare byte; see also
bit. The more mundane spelling "nibble" is also commonly
used. Apparently the `nybble' spelling is uncommon in Commonwealth
Hackish, as British orthography would suggest the pronunciation
/ni:'bl/.
Following `bit', `byte' and `nybble' there have been quite a few
analogical attempts to construct unambiguous terms for bit blocks
of other sizes. All of these are strictly jargon, not techspeak,
and not very common jargon at that (most hackers would recognize
them in context but not use them spontaneously). We collect them
here for reference together with the ambiguous techspeak terms
`word', `half-word' and `double word'; some (indicated) have
substantial information separate entries.
- 2 bits:
- crumb, quad, quarter, tayste
- 4 bits:
- nybble
- 5 bits:
- nickle
- 10 bits:
- deckle
- 16 bits:
- playte, chawmp (on a 32-bit machine), word (on a 16-bit machine),
half-word (on a 32-bit machine).
- 18 bits:
- chawmp (on a 36-bit machine), half-word (on a 36-bit machine)
- 32 bits:
- dynner, gawble (on a 32-bit machine), word (on a 32-bit machine),
longword (on a 16-bit machine).
- 36:
- word (on a 36-bit machine)
- 48 bits:
- gawble (under circumstances that remain obscure)
- 64 bits
- double word (on a 32-bit machine)
The fundamental motivation for most of these jargon terms (aside
from the normal hackerly enjoyment of punning wordplay) is the
extreme ambiguity of the term `word' and its derivatives.
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