Where does “underservant” come from?
underservant (English) comes from English servant, from Middle English servaunt, from Old French servant, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō, from Latin servus, from Proto-Italic serwos, from Proto-Indo-European ser-wo-s — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
underservant (English): A lower-ranking servant
Ancestry of “underservant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | servant | One who is hired to perform regular household or... |
| 2 | Middle English | servaunt | — |
| 3 | Old French | servant | present participle of servir; that serves; that... |
| 4 | Old French | servir | to serve |
| 5 | Latin | serviō | — |
| 6 | Latin | servus | a servant; a serf; a slave |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | serwos | guardian |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ser-wo-s | guardian |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |