Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “serviable” come from?

serviable (French) comes from Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō, 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.

serviable (French): helpful, obliging

Definitions

  1. helpful, obliging

Ancestry of “serviable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishservento serve
2Old Frenchservirto serve
3Latinserviō—
4Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
5Proto-Italicserwosguardian
6Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
7Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

Words derived from “serviable”

  • serviabilité
  • serviablement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →