/ˈiːmeɪl/noun
A message distributed electronically, especially through a computer network.
Did you know?The word is a 20th-century shortening of “electronic mail,” and its first documented uses appeared in the early 1970s as computer engineers experimented with networked messaging.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ēlektron
“Amber, a fossilized resin that could attract lightweight objects when rubbed”
17th Century
Latin
electricus
“Of amber; relating to the attractive force produced by rubbed amber”
17th Century
English
electric
“Relating to electricity or electrical phenomena”
19th Century
English
electronic
“Relating to devices or systems that control electric currents”
19th–20th Century
English
“Letters and other messages carried from one person to another”
1970s
English
electronic mail
“Messages transmitted between computers through a network”
Modern English
English
“A shortened form of electronic mail”