Where does “LISTSERV” come from?
LISTSERV (English) comes from English listserver, from English server, from English serve, from French servir, from German servieren, from Italian servire, from Spanish servir, from Latin serviō — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
Ancestry of “LISTSERV”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | listserver | A server that distributes messages to members of... |
| 2 | English | server | A program that provides services to other... |
| 3 | English | serve | An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play... |
| 4 | French | servir | to serve; to be used for; to be useful for... |
| 5 | German | servieren | To serve ; to wait |
| 6 | Italian | servire | to serve; to need; to plate |
| 7 | Spanish | servir | to serve; to be of use, to be good for; to help... |
| 8 | Latin | serviō | — |
| 9 | Latin | servus | a servant; a serf; a slave |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | serwos | guardian |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ser-wo-s | guardian |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |