Computer "mouse" is an English term known and used worldwide. Reference about its origin appears to suggest that the term, which obviously refers to the shape of a small mouse, may actually come from nautical slang.
- The trackball (also known as the computer mouse) a related pointing device, was invented in 1941 by Ralph Benjamin as part of a post-World War II-era fire-control radar plotting system called Comprehensive Display System. Benjamin was then working for the British Royal Navy Scientific Service.
(Wikispaces.com)
- Mouse in the computer sense is from 1965, though applied to other things resembling a mouse in shape since 1750, mainly nautical.
(Etymonline)
- The earliest known publication of the term mouse as a computer pointing device is in Bill English's 1965 publication "Computer-Aided Display Control".
(Wikipedia)
One nautical usage I could find refers to a technique called mousing:
- a wrapping of several turns of small stuff around the shank end of a hook.
The first mouse (1965)
Questions:
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Is there any evidence that may suggest that the "trackball" device invented by Ralph Benjamin was colloquially referred to as "mouse" before the 1965 publication?
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Does the term "mouse" actually come from nautical slang.
Best Answer
A man named Douglas Englebart introduced the mouse in 1968, and it's likely that the name derives from its appearance and movement. People noticed, for example, that the mouse-like shape and size, including a wire that resembles a tail, all pointed to the easy-to--remember name mouse. One can also speculate that the advent of computers created a need among amazed (and threatened) people to bring this incredible piece of technology into the more comfortable human world by giving it a familiar name based on its animal-like attributes.