Etymology and origin of the French word desservir
desservir1 serve (a parish; a place)
Etymology tree of desservir1
From the same root · desservir1
Pronunciation
- /de.sɛʁ.viʁ/[1]
Forms
desservir[1] Old French deservir; the spelling desservir appears in the 13th century.[2][3]
Etymology
The word for serving a parish or a place is inherited from Old French deservir, inherited from Latin dēserviō (“to serve zealously, devote oneself to”), from the intensive dē- and serviō (“to serve”).[4][5][6][7][2] Littré explains that the intensive value of the Latin prefix gave the Old French sense “to deserve” and the modern sense “to do a service”.[8]
Earliest recorded meaning
In the Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) deservir Dieu is to honour God, to perform His worship.[6][2] From 1080 the verb also meant “to deserve”: N'a deservit que altre bien il ait in the Chanson de Roland.[6][8]
Semantic evolution
Old French kept the Latin sense in desservir Dieu and used the verb intransitively for doing military service (about 1155, Wace);[6][4] desservir qqch. à qqn meant to repay someone for something (late 12th century). These uses died out, as did “to deserve”, which lasted into the 17th century.[6] The sense “to minister to (a church, a chapel)” is recorded from 1250, whence desservant, the priest in charge of a parish (1752).[4][2]
Modern French uses the verb of a road, line or means of transport serving a place (1839, Balzac, Mozin 1859) and, by extension, of a corridor or door that gives access to rooms (1832; 1890).[4][6][9]
Timeline
- c. 1050 – Deservir Dieu in the Vie de saint Alexis.[6][2]
- 1080 – Deservir “to deserve” in the Chanson de Roland.[6][8]
- 1155 – Wace uses it for doing service.[4]
- 1250 – “To minister to (a church, a chapel)”.[4]
- 1752 – The noun desservant is recorded by the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.[4]
- 1832 – Balzac uses it of a staircase giving access to rooms.[4]
- 1839 – Used of a means of communication serving a place.[4]
Meanings
Verb
- (religion) To perform the religious service of (a parish, a chapel).[9][4]
- Of a road, railway or means of transport: to serve (a place): aucun bus ne dessert ce hameau.[9][2]
- Of a corridor or passage: to give access to, lead into (rooms).[9]
Word family
- desservant
desservir2 clear (a table); do someone a disservice
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 1393 Ménagier de Paris
- Ultimate origin
- Latin serviō
Etymology tree of desservir2
From the same root · desservir2
Pronunciation
- /de.sɛʁ.viʁ/[1]
Forms
desservir[1]
Etymology
The word for clearing a table is formed from French dé- + servir, with the negative prefix (from dis-).[4][10][7][6] Littré explains its senses by the prefix reversing the action of serving: taking away what was served, and doing a bad turn.[8]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first recorded about 1393 in the Ménagier de Paris, for clearing the table of the dishes that had been served.[4][6]
Semantic evolution
Desservir la table is recorded from 1530, and the verb was used, like servir, with a person as object (1440–1475).[6] The sense “to do someone a disservice, harm them” appears in the late 15th century (about 1450 in the Mystère du Vieil Testament), as in Old Occitan deservir “to fail in one's duty” (about 1120); Rey links its growth to the loss of the older desservir “to deserve”.[6][4][9] The uses desservir qqn de qqch. “to strip someone of something” and desservir qqn “to ill-treat someone” died out in classical French.[6]
From this verb come desserte, the dishes already served (1393), and dessert (1466 desert), first in the same sense, later the last course of a meal (1539).[6]
Timeline
- c. 1393 – The Ménagier de Paris uses it for clearing the table;[4][6] desserte is recorded the same year.[4][6]
- c. 1450 – “To do someone a disservice” in the Mystère du Vieil Testament.[4]
- 1466 – Desert, later dessert, “dishes already served”.[6]
- 1530 – Desservir la table.[6]
Meanings
Verb
- To clear (a table) of the dishes and cutlery after a meal; also used without an object.[9][4]
- To do (someone) a disservice, to harm them, especially by speaking ill of them: desservir qqn auprès de ses amis.[9][4]
- To hinder (a plan, a cause): desservir la cause de la paix.[9][4]
- Of behaviour: to make (someone) badly judged;[9] se desservir, to harm oneself.[9]
Word family
- desserte
- dessert
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 52b
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 541a
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Desservir.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/desservir. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.
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