English
instant messaging
From instant + messaging.
A compound of instant + messaging
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’
…
Latin īnstō ‘to stand upon, be nearby’
Latin īnstāns ‘present, pressing, urgent’
Old French instant ‘assiduous, at hand’
Middle English instant ‘infinitely short period of time’
English instant
Today it means
noun A form of realtime communication where two or more people exchange text messages, usually short, using computers or other devices with communications capabilities.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / instant messaging