servant

servant

English

Alternative forms

• servaunt, servand (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English servaunt, from Old French servant, from the present participle of the verb servir. Doublet of sergeant and servient. Morphologically serve +‎ -ant. Displaced native Old English þeġn.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜːvənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝvənt/, [ˈsɝvn̩ʔ]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)vənt

Noun

servant (plural servants)

1. One who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation. As opposed to a slave.

   There are three servants in the household, the butler and two maids.

   • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, OCLC 5661828:

     As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.

2. One who serves another, providing help in some manner.

   She is quite the humble servant, the poor in this city owe much to her but she expects nothing.

3. (religion) A person who dedicates themselves to God.
4. (obsolete) A professed lover.
5. A person of low condition or spirit.

Derived terms

• assigned servant
• civil servant
• maidservant
• manservant
• public servant
• servantless
• servantlike
• servantly

 

Translations

one who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation

Aghwan: 𐔱𐔰𐕅𐔱𐔰𐕍𐔰𐔾 (bal'baq̇al) Albanian: shërbyes (sq) m, shërbyese (sq) f Amharic: ሎሌ m (lole) Arabic: خَادِم‎ m (ḵādim), خَادِمَة‎ f (ḵādima), خَدَم‎ pl (ḵadam) Egyptian Arabic: خدام‎ m (ḵaddām), خدامة‎ f (ḵaddāma) Armenian: ծառա (hy) (caṙa), սպասավոր (hy) (spasavor) Aromanian: dul m, huzmichear m, shcljau m Azerbaijani: qulluqçu (az), nökər (az), xidmətçi (az) Bashkir: хеҙмәтсе (xeðmätse) Belarusian: слуга́ m (sluhá), служа́нка f (služánka), прыслу́жнік m (pryslúžnik), прыслу́жніца f (pryslúžnica), слу́жка m or f (slúžka) Bengali: নোকর (nokôrô), চাকর (bn) (cakôrô) Bole: buda Breton: servijour m, servijourez f Bulgarian: слуга́ (bg) m (slugá), прислу́жник (bg) m (prislúžnik), прислу́жница f (prislúžnica), служи́тел (bg) m (služítel), служи́телка f (služítelka) Burmese: အစေအပါး (my) (a.cea.pa:) Catalan: servent (ca) m, criat (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 僕人／仆人 (zh) (púrén), 傭人／佣人 (zh) (yōngrén), 奴僕／奴仆 (zh) (núpú), 奴役 (zh) (núyì) Cimbrian: diinar m, diinaren f Czech: sluha (cs) m, služebný m, služka (cs) f Danish: tjener (da) c Dutch: hulp (nl), hulpje (nl), huishoudhulp, bediende (nl), knecht (nl) m, meid (nl) f, dienaar (nl) m Egyptian: (bꜣk m), (bꜣkt f) Erzya: вардо m (vardo), варданка f (vardanka) Estonian: teenija, sulane Finnish: palvelija (fi) French: serviteur (fr) m, domestique (fr) m or f, servante (fr) f Friulian: sierf m, famei m, servidôr m Galician: servente (gl) m, criado m Georgian: მსახური (msaxuri) German: Diener (de) m, Dienerin (de) f, Lakai (de) m, Kammerdiener (de) m, Zofe (de) f, Bediensteter (de) m, Bediener m, Dienstbote (de) m; (rural) Knecht (de) m, Magd (de) f Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍃 m (þius), 𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌹 f (þiwi), 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌱𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 m (andbahts) Greek: υπηρέτης (el) m (ypirétis) Ancient: θεράπων m (therápōn), θεράπαινα f (therápaina) Hausa: yaro (ha) Hebrew: מְשָׁרֵת‎ (he) m (mesharét) Higaonon: kabulig Hindi: नौकर (hi) m (naukar), चाकर (hi) m (cākar), नौकरानी (hi) f (naukrānī), सेवक (hi) m (sevak), भृत्य (hi) m (bhŕtya), मुलाज़िम m (mulāzim) Hungarian: szolga (hu), cseléd (hu) (female) Icelandic: þjónn (is) m Indonesian: pembantu (id) Irish: seirbhíseach m, searbhónta m Italian: servo (it) m, servitore (it) m, domestico (it) m, famiglio (it) m Japanese: 使用人 (ja) (しようにん, shiyōnin), 召使い (めしつかい, meshitsukai) Javanese: réwang, réncang Kazakh: даяшы (kk) (daäşy), малай (malai), қызметші (kk) (qyzmetşı) (also figuratively) Khmer: អ្នកបំរើ (nĕək bɑmraə), សេវកៈ (km) (seevaʼkaʼ), បាវ (km) (baaw) (female), ព្រាវ (km) (priəw) Korean: 하인(下人) (ko) (hain), 머슴 (ko) (meoseum), 사용인(使用人) (ko) (sayong'in) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: benî (ku), kole (ku), noker (ku) Kyrgyz: кызматчы (ky) (kızmatçı), кул (ky) (kul), малай (ky) (malay) Lao: ຂະຍົມ (kha nyom), ຂ້າ (lo) (khā), ບ່າວ (bāo) Latin: minister m, ministra f, famulus m, famula f Latvian: kalps m, kalpone f, sulains m Lithuanian: tarnas m Macedonian: слуга m (sluga), служител m (služitel), служителка f (služitelka) Malay: hamba (ms), khadam Maltese: ħaddiem m Maore Comorian: mutru wa hazi class 1/2 Maori: hāwini, tūmau Middle English: serjaunt, servaunt Mongolian: Cyrillic: зарц (mn) (zarc) Mongolian: ᠵᠠᠷᠤᠴᠠ (ǰaruča) Navajo: naalʼaʼí Norwegian: Bokmål: tjener (no) m Old Church Slavonic: Cyrillic: слоуга m (sluga), слоужитель m (služitelĭ) Old East Slavic: слуга m (sluga) Old English: þeġn m Pali: sevaka m Pashto: خدمتګار‎ m (xedmatgār), نوکر‎ (ps) m (nokár), خادم‎ (ps) m (xādém) Persian: خدمتکار‎ (fa) (hedmatkâr), نوکر‎ (fa) (nokar), خادم‎ (fa) (xâdem) Plautdietsch: Deena m Polish: służący (pl) m pers, służąca (pl) f, sługa (pl) m Portuguese: empregado (pt) m, criado (pt) m, serviçal (pt) m or f Romanian: servitor (ro) m, slugă (ro) f, slujitor (ro) m Russian: слуга́ (ru) m (slugá), служа́нка (ru) f (služánka) Sanskrit: सेवक (sa) m (sevaka), सेविका (sa) f (sevikā), भृत्य (sa) m (bhṛtya) Scottish Gaelic: searbhanta m or f, seirbhiseach m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: слу́га m, слу̀жа̄вка f, слу̏шкиња f Roman: slúga (sh) m, slùžāvka (sh) f, slȕškinja (sh) f Sicilian: criatu (scn) m (mostly female), servu (scn) m Slovak: sluha m, slúžka f Slovene: služabnik (sl) m, služabnica f, sluga m, služkinja f Spanish: sirviente (es) m, criado (es) m, mozo (es) m, doméstico (es) m, empleado (es) m Swahili: mtumishi (sw) Swedish: betjänt (sv) c, tjänare (sv) c Tajik: хизматгор (tg) (xizmatgor), пешхизмат (pešxizmat), чокар (čokar), навкар (tg) (navkar) Tatar: хезмәтче (tt) (xezmätçe) Thai: ข้า (th) (kâa), บ่าว (th) (bàao), ภัจ (pát), คนรับใช้ (kon-ráp-chái), เสวก (th) (sěe-wók), คนใช้ (th) (kon-chái), ภฤตย์ (th) (prʉ́t) Tibetan: བྲན་གཡོག (bran g.yog) Tigrinya: ከዳሚ m (kädami) Tocharian B: mañiye ? (male), mañiya ? (female) Turkish: hizmetçi (tr), uşak (tr), kul (tr) Turkmen: gullukçy, hyzmatkär Ukrainian: слуга́ m (sluhá), служни́ця f (služnýcja) Urdu: نوکر‎ m (naukar), چاکر‎ m (cākar), نوکرانی‎ f (naukrānī), خادم‎ m (xādim), ملازم‎ m (mulāzim) Uyghur: خىزمەتچى‎ (xizmetchi), مالاي‎ (malay) Uzbek: xizmatkor (uz), malay (uz) Venetian: servidór m, famegio m, besariòl m Vietnamese: đầy tớ (vi), người hầu Yiddish: דינסט‎ n (dinst), קנעכט‎ m (knekht), באַדינער‎ m (badiner), באַדינערטע‎ f (badinerte)

one who serves another, providing help in some manner

Bactrian: βανδαγο (bandago) Catalan: servidor (ca) m Czech: služebník (cs) m Dutch: dienaar (nl) m, bediende (nl) m or f Finnish: palvelija (fi) Galician: servidor (gl) m German: Helfer (de) m, Helferin (de) f Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌱𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 m (andbahts) Greek: υπηρέτης (el) m (ypirétis) Ancient: ὑπηρέτης m (hupērétēs) Indonesian: pelayan (id) Irish: seirbhíseach m, searbhónta m Latin: minister m Maori: wheteke Middle English: servaunt Portuguese: servente (pt) m or f Russian: служи́тель (ru) m (služítelʹ), служи́тельница (ru) f (služítelʹnica) Scottish Gaelic: searbhanta m or f, seirbhiseach m Spanish: servidor (es) m Swedish: tjänare (sv) c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: (please verify) shërbëtor (sq) m Arabic: Egyptian Arabic: (please verify) خدام‎ m (khadam) Esperanto: (please verify) servisto Estonian: (please verify) teener Ewe: (please verify) dɔla French: (please verify) domestique (fr), (please verify) serviteur (fr) m Haitian Creole: (please verify) sèvitè Hindi: (please verify) नौकर (hi) m (naukar) Hungarian: (please verify) szolga (hu), (please verify) cseléd (hu) Italian: (please verify) servo (it) m, (please verify) servitore (it) m or f Kurdish: Central Kurdish: (please verify) نۆکەر‎ (ku) (noker), بەردەست‎ (ku) (berdest), خزمەتکار‎ (xizmetkar) Macedonian: (please verify) слуга m (sluga), (please verify) слугинка f (sluginka), (please verify) измеќар m (izmeḱar), (please verify) измеќарка f (izmeḱarka), (please verify) момок m (momok) Maltese: (please verify) qaddej m, (please verify) qaddeja f, (please verify) servjent m, (please verify) servjenta f, (please verify) seftur m, (please verify) seftura f, (please verify) rufjan m, (please verify) rufjana f Old English: (please verify) þeġen m (1) Romanian: (please verify) servitor (ro) m, (please verify) slugă (ro) m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: (please verify) слу́га f, (please verify) слу̀жа̄вка f Roman: (please verify) slúga (sh) f, (please verify) slùžāvka (sh) f Spanish: (please verify) sirviente (es) m or f, (please verify) criado (es) m, (please verify) criada (es) f Swahili: (please verify) utumishi (sw) Tagalog: (please verify) tagapaglingkod (tl) Telugu: (please verify) సేవకుడు (te) (sēvakuḍu) Urdu: (please verify) نوکر‎ m (naukar)

Verb

servant (third-person singular simple present servants, present participle servanting, simple past and past participle servanted)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To subject.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:

     Wife, Mother, Child, I know not. My affaires
     Are Seruanted to others […]

References

• servant in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• starven, taverns, versant

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French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French servant, a substantivized present participle of servir. Cf. also Latin serviens, and French sergent.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Participle

servant

1. present participle of servir

Noun

servant m (plural servants, feminine servante)

1. servant

Derived terms

• chevalier servant
• servant de messe

Related terms

• serveur, serveuse

Further reading

• “servant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• versant

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Latin

Verb

servant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of servō

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Middle English

Noun

servant

1. Alternative form of servaunt

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Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

servant m (definite singular servanten, indefinite plural servanter, definite plural servantene)

1. a washbasin
2. a sink

Synonyms

• vask
• vaskeservant

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

servant m (definite singular servanten, indefinite plural servantar, definite plural servantane)

1. a washbasin
2. a sink

Synonyms

• vaskeservant

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Old French

Verb

servant

1. present participle of servir

Adjective

servant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular servant or servante)

1. that serves; that fulfils a role

Noun

servant m (oblique plural servanz or servantz, nominative singular servanz or servantz, nominative plural servant)

1. servant (one who serves)

Descendants

• French: servant
• → Middle English: servaunt
  • English: servant (dialectal sarvant)
  • Scots: servant, sairvant, servan