A message sent by telegraph, typically brief and formal due to cost per word. A communication system largely obsoleted by modern technology.
From Greek 'tele' (far) and 'gramma' (letter or writing). Coined in the 1850s as telegraph technology developed, combining the concept of distant communication with written messages.
The telegram's characteristic brevity spawned a unique literary form - 'telegraphese' - where every word counted financially. This constraint led to creative abbreviations and condensed expression that influenced modern texting language over a century later.
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