Where does “serf” come from?

serf (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch serf, from Old French serf, from Latin servus, from Proto-Italic serwos, from Proto-Indo-European ser-wo-s, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

serf (Dutch): a serf

Definitions

  1. a serf

Ancestry of “serf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchserf—
2Old Frenchserfserf; first-person singular present indicative of...
3Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
4Proto-Italicserwosguardian
5Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
6Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser-wo-s →Every word from Proto-Italic serwos →