Where does “serfishness” come from?
serfishness (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.
serfishness (English): The quality of being serfish
Definitions
- The quality of being serfish
Ancestry of “serfishness”, step by step
serfishness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English serfish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | serfish | of a serf, relating to serfdom; like a serf,... |
| 2 | English | serf | a partially free peasant of a low hereditary... |
| 3 | Middle English | serf | — |
| 4 | Old French | serf | serf; first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 5 | Latin | servus | a servant; a serf; a slave |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | serwos | guardian |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ser-wo-s | guardian |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |