missive

Missive comes from Latin mittere, "to send," and the Late Latin adjective missivus, "sent." The participial idea was present by the 5th century. It described something dispatched. The sense naturally fit letters.

Medieval Latin used missiva for a sent letter, especially in administrative contexts. Documents from the 12th century show the term in official correspondence. The word carried the idea of a message as a physical item. It tied writing to delivery.

French adopted the term as missive in the 14th century. The French noun was used for letters and formal messages. English borrowed missive by the 16th century. Early English examples date to 1589.

In modern English, missive is a formal or slightly old-fashioned word for a letter. It has remained tied to written messages, even as email took over. The spelling stayed close to the French form. The meaning still points to something sent.