Where does “ambassador” come from?
Ambassador comes from Middle English ambassadore, from Anglo-Norman ambassadeur, from Italian ambassadore.
ambassador (English): A minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign...
Definitions
- A minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign...
Ancestry of “ambassador”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ambassadore | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | ambassadeur | ambassador |
| 3 | Old Italian | ambassadore | — |
| 4 | Old Occitan | ambaisador | ambassador |
| 5 | Old Occitan | ambaissa | service, mission, errand; message |
| 6 | Latin | ambactia | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtiją | service, ministry, office, message |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtaz | servant |
| 9 | Gaulish | ambaxtos | vassal, high-ranking servant |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | ambaxtos | servant |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |