Where does “serfishly” come from?

serfishly (English) comes from English serfish, from English serf, from Middle English 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.

serfishly (English): In a serfish manner

Definitions

  1. In a serfish manner

Ancestry of “serfishly”, step by step

serfishly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English serfish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishserfishof a serf, relating to serfdom; like a serf,...
2Englishserfa partially free peasant of a low hereditary...
3Middle Englishserf
4Old Frenchserfserf; first-person singular present indicative of...
5Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
6Proto-Italicserwosguardian
7Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
8Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

via English ly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlyAbbreviation of light-year
2VietnameselyAlternative spelling of li
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser-