mid 16th cent.: from Italian novella (storia) 'new (story'), feminine of novello 'new', from Latin novellus, from novus 'new'. The word is also found from late Middle English until the 18th cent. in the sense 'a novelty, a piece of news', from Old French novelle (see novel)late Middle English (in the sense 'recent'): from Old French, from Latin novellus, from novus 'new'
