In mythology, large ugly creatures from Scandinavian folklore; in modern internet slang, people who deliberately post offensive comments to provoke reactions.
From Old Norse 'troll,' of unknown ultimate origin but possibly related to 'troll' (to wander). The mythological creature emerged in Scandinavian folklore. The internet meaning, borrowing the creature's mythological association with mischief, emerged in the 1990s.
Internet 'trolls' are a brilliant metaphor because mythological trolls were also about disruption and chaos—except digital trolls don't live under bridges, they hide behind usernames, making the ancient metaphor perfectly capture modern anonymous disruption.
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