English
servitude
Servitude comes from Latin servitūdō ‘servitude, slavery’, from Proto-Italic *serwos ‘guardian’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser-wo-s.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ser-wo-s‘guardian’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*serwos‘guardian’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEservos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEservus‘slave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEservitūdō‘servitude, slavery’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600servitude
- Englishearliest quotation 1857servitude
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ser-wo-s‘guardian’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*serwos‘guardian’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEservos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEservus‘slave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEservitūdō‘servitude, slavery’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600servitude
- Englishearliest quotation 1857servitude
Earliest quotation: 1857, Journal of Australasia: “The usual routine of confections and pastry follows, after…”
Formed from serve + -itude
Latin servus ‘slave, servant’
Latin serviō ‘to be a slave; to serve’
Old French servir ‘to serve’
Middle English serven ‘to serve’
English serve
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ser- ‘watch over, protect’
sort, series, stream, hero, desert, insert, assertion, sermon, heresy, exert, concierge, sorcery, sorcerer, assertive, heretic, sark, strudel, sere, 32 more
through Proto-Italic *serwos ‘guardian’
through Old Latin servos
through Latin servus ‘slave’
serve, conservative, reservoir, conservatism, observant, serviceable, conservator, serf, 10 more
Today it means
noun The state of being a slave; slavery; being forced to work for others or do their bidding without one's consent or against one's will, either in perpetuity or for a period of time over which one has little or no control.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ser-wo-s / servitude