Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “servir” come from?

servir (French) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

servir (French): to serve; to be used for; to be useful for...

Definitions

  1. to serve; to be used for; to be useful for...

Ancestry of “servir”, step by step

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

Words derived from “servir”

  • serve
  • servant
  • serving
  • dessert
  • maidservant
  • manservant
  • servanthood
  • serviette
  • dessertspoonful
  • bondservant
  • servest
  • dessertspoon
  • servery
  • servantless
  • servable
  • womanservant
  • servantship
  • underserve
  • servantry
  • nonserving
  • overserve
  • nonservant
  • underservant
  • servee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →