Tidings
Tidings , noun, plural
[Old English tidinge, ti{not transcribed}inge, tidinde, from or influenced by Icelandic tī{not transcribed}indi; akin to Danish tidende, Swedish tidning, German zeung, Anglo-Saxon tīdan to happen, English betide, tide. See Tide, v. i. & n.]
Account of what has taken place, and was not before known; news.
I shall make my master glad with these tidings.
Full well the busy whisper, circling round,
Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned.
Now near the tidings of our comfort is.
Tidings to the contrary
Are brought your eyes.
Evil news rides post, while good news baits.
What tidings dost thou bring?
Although tidings is plural in form, it has been used also as a singular. By Shakespeare it was used indiscriminately as a singular or plural.