Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “serviō” come from?

serviō (Latin) comes 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.

Ancestry of “serviō”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinservusa servant; a serf; a slave
2Proto-Italicserwosguardian
3Proto-Indo-Europeanser-wo-sguardian
4Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →