Talk:Ambassador

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To-do list for Ambassador:	edit · history · watch · refresh
Create section: "Purpose of an ambassador" Create section: "Duties of an ambassador" Create section: "Personal characteristics helpful in ambassadorship" Create section: "How ambassadors are selected" Copyedit for clarity existing content, especially regarding diplomatic words and titles
Priority 1 (top)

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject International relations, an attempt to provide information in a consistent format for articles about international organizations, diplomats, international meetings, and relations between states. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.
???	This article has not yet been assigned a rating on the quality scale.
???	This article has not yet been assigned a rating on the importance scale.

Contents 1 Creation of Ambassador (diplomacy) 2 Minister 3 Purpose, characteristics, duties of Ambassador missing 4 Ambassador versus Embassador 5 other uses

[edit] Creation of Ambassador (diplomacy)

I have moved the contents of this page to Ambassador (diplomacy) because of the large numbers of Ambassador automobiles that need disambiguation: Nash Ambassador, AMC Ambassador, Hindustan Ambassador, etc.

Kevyn

In this case disambiguation must be done in a different way; please read the guidelines: it is the clear case of "primary topic" disambiguation. Mikkalai 18:14, 6 Aug 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Minister

The page says:"Previously, ambassadors were known as minister..."

1. "previously" - before what?
2. Even today there's the title of "minister plenipotentiary", according to MW Online a diplomatic rank below ambassador, but with full power. Seems to be especially common in South-American countries ("ministro plenipotenciario").

Lupo 08:40, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Purpose, characteristics, duties of Ambassador missing

. . . and need to be added to this article. Who wants to help expand on these topics here? --avnative 22:47, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

I'm happy to lend a hand here. One thought, though: for these more general discussions of the work and role of senior diplomats, it might be better done in the article Head of Mission. The purpose, characteristics and duties of Ambassadors are to all intents and purposes the same as those of High Commissioners, Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, Consuls-General, Chargés d'Affaires, etc, who are all given the generic designation of Head of Mission. The articles for each of these other terms can then be shorter and concentrate on the history and technical aspects of each title. Aliddle 17:50, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ambassador versus Embassador

I need help. I got into a huge dispute with Americans over the spelling variant of "embassador". They argue that the variant is archaic and no longer in use. I recently showed them that a British writer used this spelling in 1945.

THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE WELSH EMBASSADOR LIOYD Review of English Studies.1945; os-XXI: 192-201.

http://res.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/os-XXI/83/192

Follow the debate here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=dictionary&msg=24080.1

I would like to know if this variant is still acceptable, and if so, in what circles? What do the Brits think? Dictionary.com says it's acceptable, but some say it isn't. They say that Dictionary.com took its source from Webster, which added archaic words no longer in use; then they argued that only foreigners use this variant of spelling - not native speakers of English. --Anittas 17:30, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't claim any expertise, but this is what the Oxford English Dictionary says:

Embassador — Variant form of AMBASSADOR; now obs. in England, though in frequent use during the early part of the 19th century. In the U.S. this form, which is recommended by the analogy of EMBASSY, was still preferred in the 19th c. For examples see AMBASSADOR.

Ambassador, Embassador 1. a. An official messenger sent (singly, or as one of a party) by or to a sovereign or public body; an envoy, commissioner, or representative. esp. b. A minister of high rank sent by one sovereign or state on a mission to another. (In the general sense (mostly in plural) now only historical; and when used as in b., commonly qualified as Ambassador Extraordinary, to distinguish it from sense 2.)

The OED then goes on to give several authentic examples. For "Ambassador", the examples quoted go from 1374 to 1844. For "Embassador", the examples go from 1386 to 1824.

As a native English speaker from Ireland, familiar with British English, I am not familiar with the "Embassador" spelling. Sorry I can't be more helpful. AnnH ^(talk) 22:19, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Okay, I wish I knew why the older spelling became obsolete. Someone said that in the beginning, the English tried to adopt new words from French, and so they created the word "embassador", but later changed it to ambassador. Thanks anyway! --Anittas 22:24, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] other uses

there are other, less formal, but common uses of the term ambassador that could be included. calling someone from some field of study or some grouping that is famous an ambassador. 69.23.106.111 (talk) 03:03, 11 February 2008 (UTC)