English
servant
Servant comes from Old French servant.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400servant
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500servaunt‘a servant or attendant’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609servant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400servant
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500servaunt‘a servant or attendant’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609servant
Earliest quotation: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “Wife, Mother, Child, I know not. My affaires Are…”
Formed from serve + -ant
Latin servus ‘slave, servant’
Latin serviō ‘to be a slave; to serve’
Old French servir ‘to serve’
Middle English serven ‘to serve’
English serve
Every English word from Old French servant
Today it means
noun One who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation. As opposed to a slave.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French servant / servant