这种外交语言“含蓄性”的特点，可一直追溯到先秦时代。同时，先秦时期的外交辞令也开创了我国有史料记载的外交辞令的先河。无论是春秋时期委婉恭敬的君子风度还是战国时期酣畅激扬的雄辩气势，无外乎都以“含蓄性”为基本主题。
zhèzhǒng wàijiāo yǔyán “hánxù xìng ”de tèdiǎn ，kě yīzhí zhuīsù dào xiān Qín shídài 。tóngshí ，xiān Qín shíqī de wàijiāo cílìng yě kāichuàng le wǒguó yǒu shǐliào jìzǎi de wàijiāo cílìng de xiānhé 。wúlún shì chūnqiū shíqī wěiwǎn gōngjìng de jūnzǐ fēngdù háishì Zhànguó shíqī hānchàng jīyáng de xióngbiàn qìshì ，wúwàihū dōu yǐ “hánxù xìng ”wèi jīběn zhǔtí 。
The veiled nature of this diplomatic language can be traced back to the pre-Qin era. At the same time, diplomatic rhetoric in the pre-Qin era served as the source of China's recorded history of diplomatic rhetoric. Whether it is the noble deferential euphemistic style of the Spring and Autumn Period or the unrestrained rousing oratory style of the Warring States Period, they are all, without exception, within the basic theme of veiled speech.