An ambassador or envoy, particularly from Ottoman or Middle Eastern courts, used historically in British diplomatic contexts.
From Turkish 'elçi' (messenger, ambassador), borrowed into English during centuries of Ottoman-British diplomatic contact. The term became specialized for Middle Eastern diplomatic representatives in British historical records.
The word 'elchee' is a linguistic echo of the Ottoman Empire's diplomatic reach—English borrowed it because these Turkish ambassadors were so important to European politics that we needed the word to describe them specifically!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.