What does memorandum literally mean?

• From Latin memorandum, memorandus (“to

be remembered”), gerundive of memorare
(“to bring to rememberance”)

• Origin
• late Middle English: from Latin, literally
‘something to be brought to mind’, gerundive
of memorare .
• The memorandum's message should start
with a declaration of purpose: “I am writing to
inform you….” “The purpose of this memo is
to….” Then summarize the information
relevant to the matter at hand. You can close
the memo with a call to action, repeating the
request you made at the beginning of the
memo.
• It is best to write in an extremely crisp, to the point,
businesslike tone. Memos are often used for internal
company communications.
• Don’t want to waste your colleagues’ time with niceties or
by being overly conversational. Avoid using emotional
language—such as, “I would be happy if everyone took
turns cleaning the microwave in the break room”—
because you might rub people the wrong way.
• Avoid writing IN ALL CAPS or using exclamation points,
especially if the memorandum is conveying news that may
upset people.
• It is always better to be straightforward and to share
information as quickly as possible.
• While the format of a memo should generally
stay the same, the tone and content can
change depending on the audience. For
example, a memo about organizing a summer
picnic for the staff will have a much more
cheerful tone than a memorandum informing
everyone that the company has to skip raises
due to a decrease in business.