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e-mailed

UK[ˈiːmeɪld]US[ˈiːmeɪld]
v

(past tense and past participle of email) To have sent an electronic message to someone via the internet.

Morpheme Breakdown

e
mail
ed
e

electronic

mail

postal system

ed

past tense suffix

Etymology

The word "e-mailed" is a modern, regular inflection of the verb "email," which itself is a compound formed in the late 20th century. The first element, "e-," is a ubiquitous abbreviation for "electronic," adapted from computing terminology. The second element, "mail," has a long history, originating from the Old French "male" for a traveling bag, which evolved to mean the system for transporting correspondence. The combination "email" thus literally means "electronic mail," and the addition of the common Germanic past-tense suffix "-ed" follows standard English verb conjugation rules, creating a word that perfectly encapsulates a routine digital-age action.

Analysis

Structure: e (electronic) + mail (postal system) + ed (past tense suffix) e: English, a prefix meaning "electronic," a modern functional abbreviation. mail: Middle English, from Old French "male" (wallet, bag), referring to a system for transporting letters and packages. In this compound, it denotes a message system. ed: Old English, a suffix forming the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.

Examples

I e-mailed the documents to the client yesterday afternoon.

She realized she had e-mailed the wrong attachment after she hit send.

Have you e-mailed the committee about the change in schedule?

e-mailed – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology