Etymologically
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service

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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)