Re: "An email" vs. "An email message"

On Nov 30, 4:46 am, Leslie Danks <leslie.da...@xxxxxx> wrote:
Berkeley Brett wrote:
Quick addendum:

We also find the phrase "email message" used many times at each of the
following sites (using Google to do site searches):

... Microsoft.com :

http://is.gd/9QfR8f

... Apple.com :

http://is.gd/cyKfxX

... Google.com :

http://is.gd/SCsV6z

... Mozilla.org :

http://is.gd/A8F9Es

... Redhat.com :

http://is.gd/cAlOpo

... Wikipedia.org :

http://is.gd/Au13ZY

And simply swap in whatever site you'd like in the search field to
explore it.

Hence, the phrase "email message" is not without its users! (Though I
suspect our contributors here have correctly divined the most common
(and preferred) usage.)

I haven't dredged through these links, but could "e(-)mail message" be an
example of people writing formal text (instructions, etc.) feeling the need
to use language in a way that "elevates" it from normal usage in order to
feign authority?

--
Les
(BrE)

That may well be, that it is considered "formal" in some contexts.

Even so, I think there are many informal uses of the phrase "email
message."

Searching AUE, we find a mere 263 instances of this phrase -- but it
is used by some of our regular (and venerable) participants:

http://is.gd/Mfa6in

Searching Google Groups in general, we find about 1.5 million hits
(some quite recent), though considering the extent of Usenet, that may
not be many:

http://is.gd/nZARpC

But though it may be considered formal to some (or just standard to
some), I have to suspect it will give way to the shorter "email" over
time.

Thanks....

--
Brett in Berkeley
.

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