Arp

/ɑːrp/ noun

Definition

Address Resolution Protocol, a network protocol that maps IP addresses to physical machine addresses. Also a surname, notably of artist Hans Arp.

Etymology

As a protocol, ARP is an acronym created in computer networking in the late 1970s. As a surname, from Germanic origins meaning 'eagle,' related to Old High German 'arn.' The protocol name coincidentally shares letters with the artist's surname but has entirely different origins.

Kelly Says

It's a curious coincidence that ARP represents both a fundamental internet protocol that billions use daily and the name of a pioneering Dadaist artist - one shapes how computers communicate, the other challenged how humans communicate through art. Both, in their way, deal with the fundamental question of how different entities recognize and connect with each other.

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