Etymology Map
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Message

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a communication sent to someone

Where does the word "message" come from? It comes from Latin missus, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
missus
Latin · ancient
"sent"
past participle of 'mittere', to send, the root of 'mission'
2
Stage 2 of 3
message
Old French · medieval
"message"
a verbal communication sent by a messenger
3
Stage 3 of 3
message
English · 1200s
"a communication"
text 'messages' date from the 1990s
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Read the full story

Message’s story begins in Latin: missus meant “sent.” Past participle of 'mittere', to send, the root of 'mission'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as message. A verbal communication sent by a messenger. It reached English by 1200s as message. Text 'messages' date from the 1990s. Today, message means a communication sent to someone.