noun
oral message; word passed along
Refers to a message conveyed through a third party, often orally. Can also imply hearsay or rumor in certain contexts. Slightly literary or old-fashioned; in casual speech 伝言 (でんごん) is more common.
母からことづてを頼まれた。
I was asked to pass on a message from my mother.
彼のことづてで、その話は広まった。
The story spread through word of mouth from him.
伝言 is the common, everyday word for a message (oral or written). 言伝 is more literary and often implies a message passed indirectly or through hearsay.
Compound of 言 (こと, 'word') and 伝て (づて, 'transmission, relay'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese for messages passed through intermediaries.