Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “serviette” come from?

serviette (French) comes from French servir, from German servieren, from Italian servire, from Spanish 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.

serviette (French): towel; napkin; briefcase

Definitions

  1. towel; napkin; briefcase

Ancestry of “serviette”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchservirto serve; to be used for; to be useful for...
2GermanservierenTo serve ; to wait
3Italianservireto serve; to need; to plate
4Spanishservirto serve; to be of use, to be good for; to help...
5Latinserviō—
6Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
7Proto-Italicserwosguardian
8Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
9Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

Words derived from “serviette”

  • serviette
  • servilleta
  • selviétta
  • Serviette
  • salveta
  • σερβιέτα
  • κοτίτσα
  • σερβιετάκι
  • σερβιετούλα
  • szalvéta
  • serviet
  • servíetta
  • sèrviette
  • Zervéit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →