Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unserviceable” come from?

Unserviceable derives from English serviceable, which combines service (from Latin servitium, "servitude") with -able, ultimately tracing through Latin unus and Proto-Indo-European óynos and ser-.

unserviceable (English): Unusable; of no use; Not working; Impractical

Definitions

  1. Unusable; of no use; Not working; Impractical

Ancestry of “unserviceable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishserviceableEasy to service; Repairable instead of...
2Old Frenchservisable—
3Old Frenchserviseservice; servitude; vasselage; church service
4Latinservitiumslavery, servitude; slaves; service
5Latin-itia-ness, -ity
6Latin-iaUsed to form a feminine abstract noun, usually...
7Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
8Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
9Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “unserviceable”

  • unserviceableness
  • unserviceably
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →