1596, "surrounding, encircling," from L.
ambientem (nom.
ambiens), prp. of
ambire "to go around," from
amb- "around" (see
ambi-) +
ire "go." The ground sense of "revolving" led to "encircling, lying all around."
Ambiance as a term in art, meaning "atmospheric effect of an arrangement," is an 1889 borrowing from Fr.