▪ I. message, n.1
(ˈmɛsɪdʒ)
Forms: 4–7 massage, 5 masage, (4 messag, missage, 5 massache, 6 mesuage, messege, 6, 8 messuage, 7 meswage), 3– message.
[a. F. message = Pr. messatge, Sp. mensaje, Pg. mensage(m, It. messagio:—popular L. *missāticum (a med.L. word of this form occurs in the 12th c.), f. L. miss-, mittĕre to send.]
1. a. A communication transmitted through a messenger or other agency; an oral or written communication sent from one person to another; also, † intelligence, tidings, news. Obs.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3645 To þe king com message Þat þe scottes..dude him gret outrage. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 40 Þis was his message, his Danes wild he venge Ageyn him in bataile. 1382 Wyclif 2 Kings vii. 9 This is forsothe a day of good message. 1462 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. II. 99, I have spoken with my modre and seide to here as ye desired me to doo, and sche seide sche knewe the massache weele inowe before. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 34 Preamble, Dyvers messeges and writinges to hym sent. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. i. i. 164 Sometimes from her eyes I did receiue faire speechlesse messages. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 299 Gently hast thou tould Thy message. 1722 De Foe Relig. Courtsh. i. i. (1840) 22 You cannot desire me to carry such a message. 1840 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life (1870) III. vii. 107, I had a kind message from Captain Marryat once, when somebody whom he knew was coming here. 1902 T. M. Lindsay Church in Early Cent. viii. 355 They [acolytes] were the servants of the Christian priests..carrying their messages or letters. |
¶ Often applied to a communication sent by telegraph; hence
transf.| 1847 Tennyson Princess Prol. 78 Thro' twenty posts of telegraph They flash'd a saucy message to and fro Between the mimic stations. 1884 J. Tait Mind in Matter (1892) 71 Messages can pass through the brain and the nerves every moment. |
b. In religious language: A divinely inspired communication by a prophet; tidings sent by God. Freq.
transf.;
esp., the broad meaning (of something); a view expressed in a piece of writing, etc.,
esp. one communicating a criticism of a social or political matter.
| 1546 Bale Eng. Votaries i. (1560) Ep. Ded., A ioyfull massage declaring full remission to be geuen frely in Christe. 1781 J. Logan in Sc. Paraphr. xxxiv. iv, His oracles of truth proclaim the message brought to man. 1892 Westcott Gospel of Life p. xviii, If we are to deliver our message as Christians we must face the riddles of life. 1902 A. B. Davidson Called of God vii. 201 Isaiah's message is twofold; first ruin and then redemption. |
| transf. 1828 Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 238 Byron and Burns..had a message to deliver. 1895 Ellacombe Glouc. Garden xxv. 279 Every plant has its own separate message and lesson. 1936 Time 17 Feb. 46/2 In Modern Times, the ‘message’ has been underlined rather than, as in the old days, subconsciously implied. 1940 ‘G. Orwell’ Inside Whale 156 It will be seen that once again I am speaking of these people as though they were not artists, as though they were merely propagandists putting a ‘message’ across. 1949 H. Nicolson Diary 7 Sept. (1968) 174 T. S. Eliot..is off to lecture in Germany. He asked me whether they would expect a ‘message’. I said the only thing to do was to treat them as ordinary members of cultured society. 1955 Times 12 May 13/4 Mr. Kauffmann resembles other talented American novelists in that his real gifts for story-telling and satirical observation are somewhat obscured by too heavy an insistence on the ‘message’ implicit in the plot. 1969 J. Argenti Managem. Techniques ix. 54 If the chairman of the company shows an informed interest in techniques just occasionally, this should be enough for the message to get through to all levels. 1970 Guardian 17 Aug. 6/2 David Halliwell is..the black sheep of the student militants... ‘Do you approve?’ asked a nicely-dressed teenager, identifying the shock with the message. 1975 Broadcast 23 June 17/1 The medium may not be the message, but undeniably the characteristics of the medium shape the message. |
c. An official communication from the Sovereign to Parliament; also, a communication from Parliament to members of the royal family, or between the two houses of Parliament themselves;
U.S. a communication from a chief executive officer to a legislative body conveying instructions or information on matters of policy;
esp. the Presidential address transmitted to Congress at the opening of the Session.
| 1566 House of Commons Jrnl. 30 Sept. (1742–62) I. 73/1 At which Thirtieth Day of September, 1566,..Mr. Comptroller..with a convenient Number, went up to the Lords with that Message. 1621 Ibid. 13 Feb. (1742–62) I. 520/1 Having faithfully discharged themselves in their Message to the King. 1625 Whitelock Mem. (1853) 3 The commons..voted to give the king two subsidies, for which the king thanks them by a message. 1701 House of Commons Jrnl. 20 June (1742–62) XIII. 638/1 A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Mr. Baron Tracy and Mr. Baron Berry. 1711–12 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 17 Jan., The Queen's message was only to give them notice of the peace she is treating. 1758 Mem. Last War 35 The Governor thereupon moved the Assembly in two other Messages to resume the Consideration of this Enterprize. 1801 Hamilton Wks. (1886) VII. 200 Instead of delivering a speech to the Houses of Congress,..the President has thought fit to transmit a Message. 1818 House of Commons Jrnl. 6 June LXXIII. 424/1 Resolved, Nemine Contradicente, That a Message be sent from this House to congratulate their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on their happy nuptials. 1820 House of Lords Jrnl. 15 Aug. LIII. 367/2 Ordered, Nemine Dissentiente, That a Message of Condolence be sent from this House to His Royal Highness The Duke of York..and that The Duke of Wellington and The Earl Graham do attend His Royal Highness with the said Message. 1844 Erskine May Law of Parl. xvi. 249 A message is the most simple and frequent mode of communication; it is daily resorted to for sending bills from one house to another [etc.]. Ibid. xvii. 268 Messages are frequently sent by both houses to members of the royal family, to congratulate them upon their nuptials..or other auspicious events..or to condole with them on family bereavements. a 1859 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xxiv. (1861) V. 177 William..sent down to the Commons a message,..written throughout with his own hand. 1862 J. M. Ludlow Hist. U.S. 169 The President, in his message of the year..referred in terms of sympathy with Texas to its struggle with Mexico. 1950 Times 21 Oct. 3/5 Before 1855..messages were always carried to the Lords by members of the Commons themselves, and from the Lords to the Commons by Masters in Chancery or judges. |
2. a. The business entrusted to a messenger; the carrying of a communication; a mission, an errand.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 24/26 Heo weoren Messagers: and from an heiȝ mon heo come To don to him a Message. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 272 Þat an angel of God schal not do Goddis massagis to save Cristene soulis. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 300 His doghter..He bad to gon on his message. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 72 Such men sulde be no baillays, nor go no messagies. 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 401 Our souerane Arthour..Has maid ws thre as mediatour, His message to schaw. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 32 b, Yf man shall haue sufficyent faculty to do the message of God. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. vii. 53 On what submissiue message art thou sent? 1667 Milton P.L. v. 289 All the Bands Of Angels..to his message high in honour rise; For on som message high they guessd him bound. 1720 Petrie Rules Deportm. ii. Wks. (1877) 6 A Gentleman ought not to run or walk too fast in the Streets, lest he be suspected to be going a Message. 1840 Marryat Poor Jack iv, I..ran messages. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis xvii, She bethought her..how he had gone on messages for her. |
† b. Phrase. (To go, send, etc.)
in (also of, on) message: on the business of carrying a communication or of doing an errand.
Obs.| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7405 A monek he sende him in message. 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. v. 20 Therfore we ben sett in legacie, or message, for Crist. 1443 Acts Privy Council (1835) V. 238 To paie to Coler pursivant þe whiche goethe now in þe Kynges message beyonde þe see xl.s. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 116 Quhen ony is send in message to the inymyes. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII 12 b, He sent on message Christopher Urswicke to Charles. 1557 F. Seager Schoole of Vertue 726 in Babees Bk., How to order thy selfe being sente of message. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. i. 113, I go of Message from the Queene to France. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII 142 The King..sent Sir Richard Gvilford into Kent in message. |
c. Phr.
to get the message: to understand a position stated or implied.
| 1964 ‘C. E. Maine’ Never let Up xv. 149 ‘Let's go in and have a drink anyway.’ ‘Now you're getting the message,’ he commented. ‘Lead the way.’ 1967 O. Wynd Walk Softly, Men Praying viii. 134 They didn't ask me in for a drink... Richard..realized it would only be postponing the inevitable. He had got the message at last. 1972 D. Lees Zodiac 90 They don't seem able to make up their minds whether to warn me off or knock me off but I do get the message loud and clear and..I'm going. 1974 Times 9 Jan. 14/8 (heading) Will Nato get the message? |
† 3. A person or body of persons conveying a communication; one or more messengers or envoys, an embassage. [So in
OF.]
Obs.| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 78 A message tille him nam vnto Normundie, Teld William eueridele of Malcolme robberie. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 235 The hooly lawes of oure Alkaron, Yeuen by goddes message Makomete. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 2256 Then was A bischope at Rome, Off Rowchester,..Tylle ynglande he, the message, Come. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 541 Wallace has herd the message say thair will. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 905 Fra the Chane of Tartarie, At him this message wald I be, To tell him [etc.]. |
4. attrib. and
Comb., as
message bag;
message-carrying;
message-boy Sc., an errand-boy;
message card, a card on which a message may be written; in the 18th c.
spec. a card of invitation to a reception or entertainment;
message-form, a printed form for a telegraphic message;
message-lad = message-boy;
message rate Hist., in the British Post Office, a fixed rate of payment per message sent by telephone (opposed to a subscription entitling to ‘unlimited service’);
message-stick, a stick or small block of wood carved with significant marks, used as a means of communication in Norway and among the Australian aborigines.
| 1917 ‘Contact’ Airman's Outings vii. 184 The contact patrol buses..by means of *message bags dropped over brigade headquarters report progress to the staff. 1948 ‘N. Shute’ No Highway xi. 289 Stubbs came back with the message bag. |
| 1896 Crockett Cleg Kelly (ed. 2) 56, I came..to ask about the situation of a *message-boy. |
| 1755 W. Whitehead in Dodsley Poems II. 264 (title) On a *Message-Card in Verse, Sent by a Lady. 1804 European Mag. XLV. 418/2 His visits were admitted without the punctilios of message-cards. 1851 Illustr. Catal. Exhib. 102/2 Paper and Stationery... Message Cards, plain and ornamental. |
| 1829 Bentham Justice & Cod. Petit. 179 The business of *message-carrying. |
| 1900 Post Office Guide Jan. 518 Postage stamps are used for the payment of telegrams, and the public are required to affix them to the *message-forms. |
| 1836 Dickens Sk. Boz (1837) 2nd Ser. 101 The mother had got the boy a *message-lad's place in some office. |
| 1901 Daily Chron. 30 Nov. 7/7 [Post Office Telephones.] Most of these [agreements] are at what is known as the *message rate. |
| 1860 Leisure Hour 3 May 287/1 To this day the people in Norway are called together for the despatch of public business, in a somewhat similar manner. A bud-stick, or *message-stick..is painted and stamped with the royal arms. 1881 Academy 24 Sept. 243 Three message-sticks from Australia which prove that even degraded savages may invent real written characters. 1898 in Morris Austral Eng. |
▪ II. † ˈmessage, n.2 Obs. rare—1.
[? f. mess mass n.1 + -age.] ? The action of saying mass.
| c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 58 He sente þurgh all his bisshoppryke, & garte do message & oders prayers & suffrage of halie kurk for hym. |
▪ III. message, v. (
ˈmɛsɪdʒ)
[f. message n.1] 1. trans. To send as a message; to send by messenger;
spec. to transmit (a sketch, plan, etc.) by means of signalling, telegraphing, etc.
| 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 107 Hee did, in expressed commaund, to me message his erraund. 1636 W. Denny in Ann. Dubrensia (1877) 14 Then by and by swift racing Naggs contend Who first, shall message Conquest to the end, Of their appointed course. 1886 Longm. Mag. VII. 416 The result obtained..is easier to message. 1887 Pall Mall G. 24 Mar. 11/1 A series of rules by which any drawing may be ‘messaged’ and signalled. 1896 Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch 18 Mar. 7/1 The bill was messaged over from the house last evening. |
2. intr. To carry a message.
nonce-use.
| 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge xxiv, Our people go backwards and forwards..lettering and messaging, and fetching and carrying. |
Hence
ˈmessaging vbl. n.| 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xv. iii. V. 289 We can get no free messaging from part to part of our own Army even. Ibid. xix. ii. (1873) VIII. 127 Montalembert's watching, messaging about. |