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The term "bird's-eye view" emerged in the early 17th century, with one of its earliest recorded uses in Robert Norman's "The Newe Attractive" in 1609, where it described a perspective seen from above. It gained prominence through cartography and art, especially in the depiction of maps and city plans, providing an overview of landscapes or urban areas. Over time, the term evolved into common usage in literature and everyday language to describe both a literal aerial perspective and a metaphorical comprehensive understanding of a situation.