"a written note of something to be remembered; a record of something for future reference or consideration," by 1889, shortening of memorandum (q.v.).
Entries linking to memo
memorandum n.
mid-15c., "(something) to be remembered," a note of something to be remembered for future reference or consideration, from Latin memorandum "(thing) to be remembered," neuter singular of memorandus "worthy of remembrance, noteworthy," gerundive of memorare "to call to mind," from memor "mindful of" (from PIE root *(s)mer- (1) "to remember").
"Used originally as mere Latin, and usually abbreviated mem., to introduce a note of a thing to be done" [Century Dictionary]; by 1540s it came to mean the note itself. The Latin plural is memoranda. Compare also agenda.
*(s)mer- 1
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to remember."
It forms all or part of: commemorate; commemoration; mourn; memo; memoir; memorable; memorandum; memorial; memorious; memorize; memory; remember.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit smarati "remembers;" Avestan mimara "mindful;" Greek merimna "care, thought," mermeros "causing anxiety, mischievous, baneful;" Latin memoria "memory, remembrance, faculty of remembering," memor "mindful, remembering;" Serbo-Croatian mariti "to care for;" Welsh marth "sadness, anxiety;" Old Norse Mimir, name of the giant who guards the Well of Wisdom; Old English gemimor "known," murnan "to mourn, remember sorrowfully;" Dutch mijmeren "to ponder."