English
observant
Observant comes from French observer ‘to observe, watch’, from Latin servus ‘a slave’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *serwos ‘guardian?’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*serwos‘guardian?’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEservos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEservus‘a slave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEservō‘watch, keep safe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobservō‘to observe, watch, pay attention to’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentobserveras observant‘to observe, watch’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644observant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*serwos‘guardian?’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEservos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEservus‘a slave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEservō‘watch, keep safe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobservō‘to observe, watch, pay attention to’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentobserveras observant‘to observe, watch’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644observant
Earliest quotation: 1644, Kenelme [i.e., Kenelm] Digby: “We are told how observant Alexander was of his…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ser- ‘to guard, take care’
sort, series, stream, hero, desert, insert, assertion, sermon, heresy, exert, concierge, sorcery, sorcerer, assertive, heretic, sark, strudel, sere, 31 more
through Old Latin servos
through Latin servus ‘a slave’
service, serve, servitude, serf, servile, 7 more
through Latin servō ‘watch, keep safe’
conservative, reserve, reservoir, conservatism, conserve, conservator, 4 more
Today it means
adj Alert and paying close attention; watchful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *serwos / observant