"S" Word Origins

serene

Latin

From Latin serēnus, meaning "clear, cloudless, untroubled."

serenity

Latin

From Latin serēnitās, built from serene plus the suffix "-ity."

serf

Latin

From Old French serf, from Latin servus, "slave, servant."

serfdom

French

From serf, borrowed from French serf, from Latin servus 'slave', plus the English suffix -dom denoting a condition or state.

serge

Latin

From Old French sarge/serge, ultimately from Latin sērica, "silken things."

sergeant

Latin

From Old French sergent, from Latin serviēns, "serving" — ultimately from the same root as "servant."

Sergey

Russian

Transliteration of Russian Серге́й (Sergéj), from Latin Sergius.

serial

Latin

Formed from "series" plus "-al," modelled on Latin seriālis.

serialism

Origin

From serial + -ism. Calque of the German Reihenmusik.

serian

Origin

From Seres + -ian, from Latin Seres (“the ancient northern Chinese”), from Ancient Greek, possibly from the Old Chinese word for silk.

seric

Origin

From Latin sēricus, from Ancient Greek σηρῐκός (sērĭkós), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), possibly ultimately from the Old Chinese word for silk. Doublet of silk and serge.

serican

Origin

From Latin Sēricānus, from Sērica (“Serica, China, ancient northern China”) + -ānus (“-an”), from Ancient Greek Σηρικά (Sēriká), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”), and possibly ultimately from Old Chinese 絲 (*sə, “silk”). Equivalent to Serica + -an. Doublet of Seric.

sericin

Origin

From a derivative of Latin sēricus.

series

Latin

From Latin seriēs, from serere, "to join together, bind."

serin

Origin

Borrowed from French serin.

serious

Medieval Latin

From Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, based on Latin sērius, "grave, earnest."

Serizawa

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 芹沢 (Serizawa).

sermon

Latin

From Old French sermon, from Latin sermō, "speech, discourse."

Sermons

Origin

Variant of Sermon.

serotonin

Origin

Coined from "sero-" (from serum) plus "tone" and the chemical suffix "-in."

serpent

Latin

From Old French serpent, from Latin serpēns, present participle of serpere, "to creep, crawl."

serpentine

Latin

From Old French serpentin, from Latin serpentīnus, based on serpēns, "serpent."

Serpico

Italian

Borrowed from Italian Serpico.

serra

Latin

Borrowed directly from Latin serra, meaning "saw."

Serrano

Spanish

From Spanish serrano (“mountainous”), because it originated in the sierras (“mountains”) of the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo.

serrate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin serrātus, past participle of serrō.

serrated

Latin

From Latin serratus, "shaped like a saw," from serra ("saw").

serum

Latin

From Latin serum, meaning whey or watery fluid.

servant

Latin

From Old French servant, the present participle of servir ("to serve"), ultimately from Latin servire.

serve

Latin

From Old French servir, from Latin servire ("to serve"), related to servus ("slave; servant").

served

English

The slang senses extend the ordinary verb serve, from the idea of presenting something to someone; the look-based sense is associated with American ballroom and drag culture.

server

Origin

From serve + -er, "one who serves."

servia

Origin

Borrowed from Greek Σέρβια (Sérvia).

service

Latin

From Old French servise, from Latin servitium ("slavery, service"), from servus ("slave, servant").

serviceability

Origin

From serviceable + -ity or service + -ability.

serviceable

Origin

From Middle English servisable, from Old French servisable, from servise. By surface analysis, service + -able.

serviceman

Origin

From service + -man.

serviceperson

Origin

From service + person.

serviette

Origin

From Middle English serviotis pl, from Middle French serviette.

servile

Latin

From Latin servilis, "of a slave," from servus ("slave").

serving

Origin

From serve + -ing.

servitor

Origin

From Middle English servitour, borrowed from Latin servītor, from servīre (“to serve”).

servitude

Latin

From Latin servitudo, from servus ("slave").

servo

Origin

A shortened form of "servomechanism" or "servomotor."

servosystem

Origin

From servo + system.

sesame

Latin

From Latin sesamum, from Greek sesamon, ultimately traced back through Aramaic to an old Akkadian word meaning "oil plant."

sesh

Origin

A casual clipping of "session."

sess

Origin

Aphetic form of assess.