Английский Этимологический словарь - mail (1)

- "letters," 12c., from O.Fr. male "wallet, bag," from Frank. (cf. O.H.G. malha, malaha "wallet, bag"). Originally "traveling bag," extension to "letters and parcels" (18c.) is via "bag full of letter" (1654). In 19c. England, mail was letters going abroad, while home dispatches were post. Sense of "personal batch of letters" is from 1890, originally Amer.Eng. The verb is 1828, Amer.Eng. E-mail is from 1982, shortened from electronic mail (1977); this led to the contemptuous application of snail mail (1983) to the old system.