servo Latin · revision 7011

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=Ennius|origins=ine-pro *ser-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈsɛr.woː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛr.vo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''servō''' (present infinitive servāre, perfect active servāvī, supine servātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is cognate with [[xum|seritu|t=let him watch]] and [[ae|haraiti|t=watches, guards]].^(OLD 2012)^(Walde 1906) By surface analysis it is [[servus]] with the verb suffix [[-ō]], but Rix suggests it began as a denominative of an older noun *serwā or *serwom “watching, heed”, ultimately from [[ine-pro|*ser-]].^(Wiktionary) Old forms include ⟨servāssō⟩ for ⟨servāverō⟩ in Plautus and ⟨servāssis⟩ in a formula in Cato.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of watching over and keeping, and Ennius, of saving.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to watch over, guard, look after, to keep under observation, as Virgil's ''dum sīdera servat'' “while he watches the stars”, and ''dē caelō servāre'', to watch the sky for omens.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Poets used it of staying in a place, keeping to a course.^(OLD 2012) It meant to keep, observe a law or custom, a time or a festival, to maintain an activity, and to keep in a certain condition.^(OLD 2012) It meant to preserve intact, keep perishable things, as in Cato, keep possession of, reserve, store, and to save from death or danger, as in Ennius, also in prayers.^(OLD 2012) In law it meant to recover money lent, as in Cicero.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to watch, observe, keep, preserve, reserve, save.^(Stelten 1995) It survives in Italian ''servare'', ''serbare'' and Romanian ''serba''.^(Wiktionary) Its compounds ''cōnservāre'', ''observāre'', ''reservāre'' and Late Latin ''praeservāre'' are the sources of [[en|conserve]], [[en|observe]], [[en|reserve]] and [[en|preserve]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of watching over and keeping.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of saving and storing.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of preserving perishable things.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of recovering money.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To watch over, [[m|en|guard]], look after.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To watch, observe, ''dē caelō servāre'', to watch for omens.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To stay in a place; to keep to a course.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To keep, [[m|en|observe]] a law, custom or festival.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To maintain, keep up; to keep in a condition.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To [[m|en|preserve]]; to keep, retain; to reserve, store.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To save from death or danger.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(law)'' To recover money lent.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[asservō]]

+ * [[cōnservō]]

+ * [[inservō]]

+ * [[observō]]

+ * [[perservō]]

+ * [[praeservō]]

+ * [[reservō]]

+ * [[servābilis]]

+ * [[servātor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[serviō]]

+ * [[servus]]

+ * [[en|conserve]]

+ * [[en|observe]]

+ * [[en|preserve]]

+ * [[en|reserve]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}