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From: djh@xipe.osc.edu (David Heisterberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: where does BIG/LITTLE endian come from???
Message-ID: <1554@sunc.osc.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 91 13:58:12 GMT
References: <11062.on.Wed,.10.Apr.91.07:26:45.EDT.@sct60a.sunyct.edu>
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In article <11062.on.Wed,.10.Apr.91.07:26:45.EDT.@sct60a.sunyct.edu> sweetmr@SCT60A.SUNYCT.EDU (michael sweet) writes:
>> Now for the real important question:
>> Where did the term Big-Little Endian come from?  What is the folklore
>> behind this jargon ?
>
>This one is a groaner:
> A number is big-endian if its end (last byte) is on the bigger address,
>and little-endian if its end is on the littler address....  <groan>
>Stupid, but easy to remember.  I don't know who thought this one up.....

Of course, but the genesis of terms themselves is probably from Swift's
"Gulliver's Travels".  The Lilliputians (representing England?) and
another island nation (as France?) were chronically at war over which
end of an egg was the more proper to break.  The two camps were refered
to as Big and Little Endian.  Gulliver was actively recruited by both
sides to be used as a super weapon.
--
David J. Heisterberg		djh@osc.edu		And you all know
The Ohio Supercomputer Center	djh@ohstpy.bitnet	security Is mortals'
Columbus, Ohio  43212		ohstpy::djh		chiefest enemy.