Etymology Explorer › Icelandic

Where does “servíetta” come from?

servíetta (Icelandic) comes from Danish serviet, from French serviette, from French servir, from German servieren, from Italian servire, from Spanish servir, from Latin serviō, from Latin servus — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

servíetta (Icelandic): napkin, serviette

Definitions

  1. napkin, serviette

Ancestry of “servíetta”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishservietnapkin
2Frenchserviettetowel; napkin; briefcase
3Frenchservirto serve; to be used for; to be useful for...
4GermanservierenTo serve ; to wait
5Italianservireto serve; to need; to plate
6Spanishservirto serve; to be of use, to be good for; to help...
7Latinserviō—
8Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
9Proto-Italicserwosguardian
10Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
11Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →