English word origin

Etymology of envoy

From French envoyé (“envoy, messenger”), from envoyer (“send”).

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

noun

A diplomatic agent of the second rank, next in status after an ambassador. · A representative. · A diplomat. · A messenger.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From French envoyé (“envoy, messenger”), from envoyer (“send”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Unspecified derivation mentionenvoyéfr

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "envoyé",
        "4": "",
        "5": "envoy, messenger"
      },
      "expansion": "French envoyé (“envoy, messenger”)"
    }
  ],
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      "envoyé#French"
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    [
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      "envoyer#French"
    ],
    [
      "send",
      "send#Verb"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A diplomatic agent of the second rank, next in status after an ambassador.",
        "A representative.",
        "A diplomat.",
        "A messenger."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "567d268262591251843d30ade1b99873378ed3bc90c7a551fe16d0f81d031b45",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 452516
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

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Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZW52b3k