Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ambiance” come from?

Ambiance comes from French ambiance, from the French suffix -ance added to Latin ambiens (surrounding), derived from Latin ambi- (around) and ambo (both), ultimately from Latin eo (to go).

ambiance (English): A particular mood or atmosphere of an environment...

Definitions

  1. A particular mood or atmosphere of an environment...

Ancestry of “ambiance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchambianceambiance, atmosphere; first-person singular...
2Frenchambiantambient
3Latinambiēns—
4Latinambiō—
5Latinambi-ambi-
6Latinambō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “ambiance”

  • ambience
  • circumambience
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →