 The word was derived from the French word "embarrasser", "to block" or "to obstruct", or figuratively, "to put one in a difficult situation".The first recorded usage was by Michel de Montaigne in 1580.The French word was derived from the Spanish "embarazar", whose first recorded usage was in 1460 in "Cancionero de Stúñiga" (Songbook of Stúñiga) by Álvaro de Luna.