mass-media

The term "mass-media" is a modern compound, forged in the 20th century to describe the technological revolution in communication. The first element, "mass," draws from its Latin root for a cohesive bulk, evolving to signify the vast, undifferentiated public audiences of the industrial and post-industrial eras. The second element, "media," originates from the Latin concept of a "middle" or intermediary, which came to denote the channels—like print and broadcast—that stand between information sources and the populace. Thus, the word's literal logic perfectly captures its function: the means (media) of communicating to the large-scale public (mass).

Structure: mass (large-scale) + media (means of communication) - mass: From Latin massa (lump, bulk), via Old French masse. In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning "involving or affecting a large number of people." - media: From Latin media, the plural of medium (middle, means, intermediary). In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning "the means or channels of communication."