serve (v.)

12世纪晚期，"使习惯性的服从"，也有"服侍，给予援助，给予帮助"的意思，来自古法语 servir "对其尽职，表现出奉献精神；摆放餐桌，在餐桌上服务；提供，提供与"，来自拉丁语 servire "成为仆人，为其服务，被奴役；"形象地说是"奉献；受其支配；遵从；符合；奉承"，原为"成为奴隶"，与 servus "奴隶"有关，来源不明。

也许来自伊特鲁里亚语(比较伊特鲁里亚语专有名词 Servi ， Serve ，拉丁化为 Servius )，但德-瓦安说它来自原意大利语 *serwo- "牧羊人"， *serwā- "观察"，来自PIE *seruo- "监护人"(来源也是阿维斯坦 haraiti "理会，保护")。

Rix 1994a argues that the original meaning of *serwo- probably was 'guard, shepherd', which underwent a pejorative development to 'slave' in Italy between 700 and 450 BC. Servire would be the direct derivative of servus , hence 'be a slave'; servare would in his view be derived from an older noun *serwa- or *serwom 'observation, heedance'.

到13世纪时，也是"为之服务，为之执行服务；侍奉，成为个人仆人；成为奴隶；效忠于；主持弥撒或其他宗教仪式；"从13世纪早期开始是"在餐桌上摆放食物；"14世纪中期是"侍奉(顾客)"。从14世纪末作"以某种方式对待(某人或某事)"。

至 serve (someone) right "以他应得的方式对待"是从1580年代开始记载的。Sense of "be useful, be beneficial, be suitable for a purpose or function" is from early 14 Century; that of "take the place or meet the needs of, be equal to the task" is from late 14 Century; that of "sufficient" is from mid- 15 Century Meaning "render active military service" is from 1510s.体育意义，在网球、羽毛球等运动中，最早记载于1580年代。法律意义上的"出示"(令状、授权书等)、"给予法律通知"是从15世纪初开始的。

He no schuld neuer wond

To seruen him fro fot to hond

["Amis and Amiloun," c. 1330]

1680年代，在体育(网球等)，来自 serve (五)。