attrit vs linger

attrit

verb
  • To engage in attrition; to quit or drop out. 

  • To be reduced in quantity through attrition. 

  • To lose, or to kill, troops by attrition due to sustained firepower. 

  • To wear down through attrition, especially mechanical attrition. 

noun
  • One who voluntarily or involuntarily leaves a company; a termed employee. 

linger

verb
  • To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so. 

  • To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually. 

  • To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion. 

How often have the words attrit and linger occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )