Embassy Definition

Origin of Embassy

• Variant form of ambassy, from Middle French ambassée (“mission, charge, embassy”), from Old French ambascee, enbassee (“message for a high official, official mission”), from Old Italian ambasciata, from Old Provençal ambayassada (“embassy”) (compare Occitan ambaissada), from ambaissa (“service, duty”), from Lombardic *ambahti (“hostage”) (as hostages were used to seal pacts), from Proto-Germanic *ambahtijaz, *ambahtaz (“follower, servant”), from Gaulish *ambactos (“dependant, vassal”, literally “one going around”) (compare Old Irish amos, amsach (“mercenary, servant”), Welsh amaeth (“tenant farm”)). More at ambassador.

  From Wiktionary

• Variant of ambassy office or function of an ambassador from obsolete French ambassée from Medieval Latin ambactiāta embassage

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition