mél

Abbreviation of messagerie électronique (“electronic messaging”), following the form of tél (“telephone, abbr.”), and influenced by the pronunciation of English mail.

mél m (plural méls)

1. An email message.
   • 2008, Jean-Benoit Nadeau, Julie Barlow, The Story of French, Macmillan →ISBN

     It preferred the homegrown mél (a contraction of message électronique), even though the French terminology commissions had proposed mél only as a written short form for business cards, like Tél for phone number. The Academy finally ...

• courriel
• courrier électronique