Where does “servitress” come from?

servitress (English) comes from English servitor, from Middle English servitour, from Latin servītor, from French serveur, from French servir, from German servieren, from Italian servire, from Spanish servir — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

servitress (English): A female servant

Definitions

  1. A female servant

Ancestry of “servitress”, step by step

servitress traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English servitor

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishservitorOne who performs the duties of a servant; One who...
2Middle EnglishservitourA servant or attendant
3Latinservītora servant, a servitor
4Frenchserveurwaiter; server
5Frenchservirto serve; to be used for; to be useful for...
6Germanservierento serve (food); to wait (at table)
7Italianservireto serve; to need; to plate
8Spanishservirto serve; to be of use, to be good for; to help...
9Latinserviōto be a slave to; to serve
10Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
11Proto-Italicserwosguardian
12Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
13Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

via English ess

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishessThe name of the Latin-script letter S; Something...
2Germanessfirst-person singular present of essen; singular...
3Proto-Germanicatiska-grainfield
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂edos-sort of cereal, grain
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser-