Etymologically
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service

Etymology and origin of the French word service

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (servise)
Borrowed from
Latin servitium
Ultimate origin
Latin (servus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin servitium
French service

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɛʁ.vis/[1]

Forms

service m (plural services)[1] Old French servise, usual until the 13th century, service is found from about 1155.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin servitium (“slavery; the slaves, (Church Latin) office”), from servus (“slave”), the source of serf.[2][3][4][5] Medieval Latin had given it both a legal sense, the duties of a vassal to his lord, and a religious one; many later senses come from servir.[3][6]

Compare Italian servizio, Spanish servicio and Portuguese serviço.[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) servise is the whole of one's duties to God; in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it is also a vassal's service to his lord: Carles comandet que face sun servise (“Charles commands that I do my service”).[8][7]

Semantic evolution

The religious sense gave the funeral service (about 1150), the service du bout de l'an (1690) and service funèbre (1876).[8][2] The duties owed to the state appear in the Chanson de Roland; military obligations are services in 1270, service public is in Montaigne (1580), and service militaire is recorded in 1720 and made an institution in 1798.[8][2] Être de service “on duty” dates from 1671.[2]

Chrétien de Troyes (about 1170) uses it for a servant's duties, and about 1175 for a set of dishes brought to the table, faire le service at table is from the early 13th century.[8][2] Rendre un mauvais service goes back to the Chanson de Roland, while rendre service is from 1610 (Honoré d'Urfé).[2] Qu'y a-t-il pour votre service ? is found in 1792, and mettre en service (of a machine) in 1883.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Servise, duties to God, in the Vie de saint Alexis.[8]
  • c. 1100 – A vassal's service, in the Chanson de Roland.[8]
  • c. 1155 – The form service, in Wace.[4]
  • c. 1175 – A set of dishes.[8]
  • 1270 – Military obligations.[8]
  • 1580 – Service public in Montaigne.[8]
  • 1610 – Rendre service.[2]
  • 1798 – Service militaire made an institution.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (religion) A service, office: service funèbre.[10][2]
  2. Military service: faire son service.[6][2]
  3. Service to the community: service public.[8][6]
  4. Duty: être de service.[2]
  5. Employment as a servant: entrer au service de quelqu'un, escalier de service.[7][8]
  6. Serving at table; the service charge: service compris.[2][1]
  7. A sitting (of a meal): premier service.[8]
  8. A favour: rendre service.[2]
  9. A set of tableware: service à café.[1]
  10. A department: service clientèle.[1]
  11. Operation: mise en service, hors service.[9][1]
  12. (tennis) Serve.[1]
  13. (Switzerland, plural) cutlery.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 544a
  6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Service.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/service. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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