Etymologically
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servir

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɛʁ.viʁ/[1]

Forms

servir[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French servir, inherited from Latin serviō (“to be a slave; to be subject to; to be useful”).[2][3][4][5][1] The Latin verb is derived from servus (“slave”) (see serf), a word of obscure origin, perhaps related to an Indo-European root “*ser-” “to protect, watch over”.[3][6] “Servus” had earlier given servō (“to keep, protect”), felt as separate from the noun.[3] With a thing as subject, classical Latin already used “servīre” for “to be useful to”.[4]

Cognate with Italian servire, Occitan servir, Spanish servir, Portuguese servir and Romanian servi.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Séquence de sainte Eulalie (about 880), diaule seruir “to serve the devil”, in the Latin sense “to be devoted to (someone)”, Deu servir is in the Vie de saint Léger (late 10th century).[2][3]

Semantic evolution

About 1050 it meant “to celebrate the liturgy” (later servir la messe, 1680) and “to work as a servant”; at table it meant to bring in the meal (about 1165) and to present a dish (about 1170, Chrétien de Troyes).[2][3] Servir une dame (about 1155, Wace) belongs to courtly love, servir l'État is in Fénelon.[7] Polite pour vous servir is recorded in 1648.[2]

The use with a thing as subject, servir à “to be used for” and servir de “to act as”, developed alongside the noun service, as did military service.[4][3] Se servir at table is recorded in 1832, and se servir de “to make use of” is current.[2][1] Corneille's and Racine's servir “to be a slave” is a Latinism.[4] In sport it means to serve the ball, and to set up a team-mate.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 880 – Diaule seruir in the Séquence de sainte Eulalie.[2]
  • Late 10th century – Deu servir in the Vie de saint Léger.[2]
  • c. 1050 – “To serve as a servant” and “to celebrate the office”, in the Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • c. 1165 – Serving at table, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[2]
  • 1393 – Serviette.[4]
  • 1648 – Pour vous servir, in Voiture.[2]
  • 1680 – Servir la messe.[2]
  • 1832 – Se servir “to help oneself”.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To serve, be devoted to: servir Dieu, servir son pays; to serve in the army.[6][7]
  2. To work for someone as a servant; to attend to customers.[6][1]
  3. To bring food or drink to someone; to serve a dish: Madame est servie.[1][7]
  4. Servir à: to be used for, be of use, servir de: to act as: ça ne sert à rien.[1][4]
  5. (sport) To serve; to set up a team-mate.[1]
  6. Se servir: to help oneself, se servir de: to make use of.[1][2]

Word family

  • servant
  • serveur
  • serviable
  • serviette
  • desservir
  • service
  • serviteur
  • dessert
  • serf
  • sergent
  • servage
  • servile
  • servitude
  • conserver
  • Latin serviō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 536a
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse