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Origin and history of ambassador

ambassador(n.)

late 14c., also embassador, "diplomatic emissary of a ruler in the court of another," from Old French embassator, ambassateor, which comes via Provençal or Old Spanish from Latin ambactus "a servant, vassal," from Celtic amb(i)actos "a messenger, servant" (from PIE root *ambhi- "around" + *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

Compare embassy. Forms in am- and em- were used indiscriminately in English 17c.-18c. Until 1893 the United States sent and received none, having only ministers (often called ambassadors), who represented the state, not the sovereign.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to ambassador

embassy(n.)

1570s, "position of an ambassador," from French embassee "mission, charge, office of ambassador," Old French ambassee, from Italian ambasciata, from Old Provençal ambaisada "office of ambassador," from Gaulish *ambactos "dependant, vassal," literally "one going around" (from PIE *amb(i)-ag-to, from roots *ambhi- "around" + *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

The meaning "official residence and retinue of an ambassador" is from 1764. In earlier use were embassade (late 15c.), ambassade (early 15c.), from Old French variant ambassade.

ambassadorial(adj.)

"of or belonging to an ambassador," 1759, from ambassador + -al (1).

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legate
mid-12c., "authorized representative of the Pope," from Old French legat and directly from Latin legatus "ambassador, envoy...General sense of "ambassador, delegate, messenger of a state or authority" is from late 14c. in English....
credentials
Especially in reference to the letters of authorization given by a government to an ambassador....
errand
In Old English, ærendgast was "angel," ærendraca was "ambassador."...
messenger
one who bears a message; the bearer of a verbal or written communication," from Old French messagier "messenger, envoy, ambassador...
plenipotentiary
As a noun from 1650s, "person invested with full powers to transact any business," especially with reference to an ambassador...
legacy
late 14c., legacie, "body of persons sent on a mission," from Medieval Latin legatia, from Latin legatus "ambassador, envoy...
constructive
[The Christian Ambassador, vol. ix, 1871] It later was extended to education and became personal: Constructive criticism...
voice
late 13c., "sound made by the human mouth," from Old French voiz "voice, speech; word, saying, rumor, report" (Modern French voix), from Latin vocem (nominative vox) "voice, sound, utterance, cry, call, speech, sentence, language, word" (source also of Italian voce, Spanish voz),
representative
1580s, "serving to portray or symbolize," from French representatif (early 14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin repraesentativus, from stem of Latin repraesentare "show, exhibit, display" (see represent). Meaning "standing for others, acting as a substitute or agent for another"
constellation
early 14c., constellacioun, "position of a planet in the zodiac;" late 14c., "one of the recognized star patterns handed down from antiquity" (in the zodiac or not), from Old French constellacion "constellation, conjuncture (of planets)" and directly from Late Latin constellation

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