Epistle
/ɪˈpɪs.əl/noun
A letter, especially one that is formal or literary.
Did you know?Epistle comes from Greek *epistolē*, meaning “a message sent,” from *epistellein* “to send to,” and it became the sacred name for the letters of the New Testament.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stel-
“to send, place, or set”
Ancient Greek
GRK
ἐπιστέλλειν (epistéllein)
“to send a message to, give orders to”
Ancient Greek
GRK
ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ)
“a message, letter”
Late Latin
LAT
epistola
“a letter, written communication”
Old French
OFr
epistle
“a letter, especially a formal one”
Middle English
ME
epistle
“a letter or written message”
Modern English
EN
epistle
“a letter, especially one that is formal or literary”