"_Novaum_, vulgo _Nouvelle_. Ugutio: '_Rumor, murmur, quod vulgo
dicitur Novum._' Occurit non semel in Epistolis Marini Sanuti.
'Novis de Obitu Papæ auditis,' in Regesta Universitatis Paris,
an. 1394, _Spicileg. Acher._, tom vi. p. 60."
So far Ducange, who also refers to the following:
"Supervenerunt nobis _Nova_ certa de morte, videlicet quorundam
Nobilium, nobis adhærentium, captorum per partem dieti Philippi
in Britannia, et de speciali Præcepto suo Parisiis ignominiosæ
morti traditorum; nec non de Strage, &c. &c."--_Charta an_.
1346, apud Rymer, t. v. p. 497.
The derivation of this word has been so strenuously and ably discussed
by the contending parties in your pages, that I have no intention of
interfering (non nostrum tantas componere lites) further than to furnish
a few materials bearing on the subject, which may not have come under
their notice.
It seems uncertain whether _Newes_ was considered by our ancestors
_plural_ or _singular_. Resolute John Florio is sadly inconsistent in
his use of it: in his _World of Wordes_, ed. 1598, we have:
"_Nova_, newe, fresh, a noueltie, a _newe report_.
"_Novella_, a tale, a nouell, a noueltie, a discourse, _a newes_
a message."
In Queen Anna's _World of Wordes_, 1611:
"_Nova_, a noueltie, _a new report_.
"_Novella, a tiding, or newes_.
"_Novellante_, a teller of _newes_ or _tidings_."
Here we have _newes_ treated both as _singular_ and _plural_! while we
have _tiding_ as the singular of _tidings_, a form which, from long
disuse, would now appear strange to us. In the following extract from
Florio's very amusing book of Dialogues, _Second Frutes_, 1591, he makes
_newes_ decidedly plural:--
"_C_. What doo they say abroade? what _newes_ have you, Master
Tiberio? _T_. Nothing that I know; can you tell whether the post
be come? _C_. No, Sir; they saye in the Exchange that the great
Turke makes great preparation to warre with the Persian. _T_.
'Tis but a deuice; _these be newes_ cast abroade to feede the
common sorte, I doo not beleeue them.... _C_. Yea, but _they_
are written to verie worshipful merchants. _T_. By so much the
lesse doo I beleeue them; doo not you know that euerie yeare
_such newes are_ spreade abroade? _C_. I am almost of your
minde, for I seldome see these written reports prove true. _T_.
Prognostications, _newes_, deuices, and letters from forraine
countries (good Master Cæsar), are but used as confections to
feed the common people withal. _C_. A man must give no more
credite to Exchange and Powles' _newes_ than to fugitiues
promises and plaiers fables."
In Thomas's _Principal Rules of the Italian Grammer, with a
Dictionarie_, printed by Thomas Powell in 1562, but written in 1548, we
have--
"_Novella_, a tale, a parable, or a _neweltee._
"_Novelluzza_, an _ynkelyng_.
"_Novellare_, to tell tales or _newes_."
In the title page of a rare little volume printed in 1616, we have the
adjective _new_ in apposition with the substantive _newes_, thus:
"Sir Thomas Overburie his Wife, with new Elegies upon his (now
knowne) untimely death. Whereunto are annexed _New Newes_ and
Characters written by himselfe and other learned Gentlemen.
Editio septima. London: printed by Edward Griffin for Lawrence
Lisle, 1616, 12mo."