Epistola

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A written communication, typically in the form of a letter, often addressing a particular audience or purpose, conveying information or thoughts
2. An epistolary form that serves to express sentiments or messages in a formal or informal manner, encompassing various themes
3. A literary genre characterized by correspondence, often reflecting personal or communal experiences, conveying ideas through letters or written exchanges

Etymology: In Greek, "epistolē" meant a message or dispatch, something sent from one person to another. It came from "epistellein," built from "epi," meaning "to" or "upon," and "stellein," meaning "to send" or "to set in order." The letter was defined by its journey rather than its paper. Latin borrowed the idea as "epistula," the standard classical word for a letter. The variant "epistola" became common in later Latin, especially in church writing, where it named the letters of the New Testament. That is why the form appears so often in scripture and sermons. English took the word through Latin, and its ordinary descendant is "epistle," which kept the sense of a formal or weighty letter. "Epistolary," describing writing in the form of letters, grew from the same root in English.

Synonyms: letter, epistle, missive, note, message