Where does “șervețel” come from?
șervețel (Romanian) comes from Romanian șervet, 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.
șervețel (Romanian): napkin; tissue
Ancestry of “șervețel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Romanian | șervet | napkin; towel , tea towel, dishcloth |
| 2 | French | serviette | towel; napkin; briefcase |
| 3 | French | servir | to serve; to be used for; to be useful for... |
| 4 | German | servieren | To serve ; to wait |
| 5 | Italian | servire | to serve; to need; to plate |
| 6 | Spanish | servir | to serve; to be of use, to be good for; to help... |
| 7 | Latin | serviō | — |
| 8 | Latin | servus | a servant; a serf; a slave |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | serwos | guardian |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ser-wo-s | guardian |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |