MESSAGE

A message is a unit of communication intended to convey information from a sender to a receiver through a channel. It can be spoken, written, or electronic, and in linguistics the message refers to the content of the communication after encoding and before interpretation.

Etymology and use: The word originates from Old French message, from Latin missus, meaning “a sending.” In English, the term has been used since the 14th century to describe the information being transmitted, as well as the act of sending it.

Types and contexts: Messages occur in many forms. In everyday life, they include spoken statements, written letters, emails, text messages, and posts on social media. In computing and telecommunications, a message is a discrete unit of data exchanged between processes or services, often defined by a protocol. Messaging systems may rely on headers, payloads, and sequencing to ensure correct delivery and interpretation.

Encoding, transmission, and reception: A message is encoded into a signal appropriate for a channel (sound waves, written text, or binary data) and decoded by the recipient. Transmission may be affected by noise or distortion. Many messaging systems provide metadata such as timestamps, sender and recipient identifiers, and routing information, and may incorporate acknowledgment or delivery-status feedback.

Information, semantics, and interpretation: In information theory, a message is a sequence of symbols drawn from a defined alphabet, whose information content depends on its novelty and predictability. The meaning of a message depends on shared context, conventions, and the recipient’s interpretation, making accurate encoding and mutual understanding essential for effective communication.