LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfourth conjugation, impersonal in the passive

serviō

serviō (present infinitive servīre, perfect active servīvī or serviī, supine servītum)
Classical[ˈsɛr.wi.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsɛr.vi.o]
№ 883 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. impersonalto be a slave to; to serve
    “[...] Liceat Phrygiō servīre marītō,“[This arrangement will] permit [Dido] to be enslaved to her Phrygian husband [Aeneas], and — as her dowry — to surrender the Tyrians into your hands.” (Juno mocks Dido and insults Venus’s son, Aeneas, yet tries to tempt Venus with shared dominion over Carthage.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.103-104
    Nemo liber est qui corpori servitNo one is free who is a slave to his body.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 92
  2. impersonalto be devoted to, subject to
  3. impersonalto have respect to, regard or care for, consult
  4. impersonalto aim at

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

servus sum; dominō serviō.
serviō -īre — in Mille Verba, Domus et Familia
is a slave to
servit — in Seneca, ch. X

Conjugation conjugation 4

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.serviōserviēbam
servībam		serviam
servībō		servīvī
serviī		servīveram
servīram, servieram		servīverō
servīrō, servierō
2nd sg.servīsserviēbās
servībās		serviēs
servībis		servīvistī
servīstī, serviistī		servīverās
servīrās, servierās		servīveris
servīris, servieris
3rd sg.servitserviēbat
servībat		serviet
servībit		servīvit
servīt, serviit		servīverat
servīrat, servierat		servīverit
servīrit, servierit
1st pl.servīmusserviēbāmus
servībāmus		serviēmus
servībimus		servīvimus
servīmus, serviimus		servīverāmus
servīrāmus, servierāmus		servīverimus
servīrimus, servierimus
2nd pl.servītisserviēbātis
servībātis		serviētis
servībitis		servīvistis
servīstis, serviistis		servīverātis
servīrātis, servierātis		servīveritis
servīritis, servieritis
3rd pl.serviuntserviēbant
servībant		servient
servībunt		servīvērunt
servērunt, servīvēre, servēre, serviērunt, serviēre		servīverant
servīrant, servierant		servīverint
servīrint, servierint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.serviamservīremservīverim
servīrim, servierim		servīvissem
servīssem, serviissem
2nd sg.serviāsservīrēsservīverīs
servīrīs, servierīs		servīvissēs
servīssēs, serviissēs
3rd sg.serviatservīretservīverit
servīrit, servierit		servīvisset
servīsset, serviisset
1st pl.serviāmusservīrēmusservīverīmus
servīrīmus, servierīmus		servīvissēmus
servīssēmus, serviissēmus
2nd pl.serviātisservīrētisservīverītis
servīrītis, servierītis		servīvissētis
servīssētis, serviissētis
3rd pl.serviantservīrentservīverint
servīrint, servierint		servīvissent
servīssent, serviissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.———
2nd sg.———
3rd sg.servīturserviēbātur
servībātur		serviētur
servībitur
1st pl.———
2nd pl.———
3rd pl.———
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.——
2nd sg.——
3rd sg.serviāturservīrētur
1st pl.——
2nd pl.——
3rd pl.——
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.servī—
pres. 2nd pl.servīte—
fut. 2nd sg.servītō—
fut. 3rd sg.servītōservītor
fut. 2nd pl.servītōte—
fut. 3rd pl.serviuntō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveservīreservīrī
perfect infinitiveservīvisse
servīsse, serviisse		servītum esse
future infinitiveservītūrum esseservītum īrī
present participleserviēns
serviente, servientem, servientēs, servientī, servientia, servientibus, servientis, servientīs, servientium		—
perfect participle—servītum
future participleservītūrus
servītūra, servītūrā, servītūrae, servītūram, servītūrārum, servītūrās, servītūre, servītūrī, servītūrīs, servītūrō, servītūrōrum, servītūrōs, servītūrum		serviendum
serviundum, servienda, serviendā, serviendae, serviendam, serviendārum, serviendās, serviende, serviendīs, serviendōrum, serviendōs, serviendus
gerundserviendī, serviendō, serviendumsupineservītum, servītū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

tempori servire, cedere
to accommodate oneself to circumstances.
famae servire, consulere
to have regard for one's good name.
commodis alicuius servire
to look after, guard a person's interests, welfare.
cupiditatibus servire, pārēre
to be the slave of one's desires.
dignitati suae servire, consulere
to be careful of one's dignity.

servĭo, īvi and ii, ītum, 4 (
I. imperf. servibas, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 50; fut. servibo, id. Men. 5, 9, 42; id. Merc. 3, 2, 3; Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 45: servibit, Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 76; id. Trin. 2, 2, 27), v. n. (once pass., v. I. B. infra) [servus], to be a servant or slave, to serve, be in service (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.
(a). Absol.: Ha. Quid tu, servusne es, an liber? Ps. Nunc quidem etiam servio, Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 16: nunc qui minus servio, quam si forem serva nata? id. Rud. 1, 3, 37: in liberatā terrā liberatores ejus servire, Liv. 34, 50: per centum annos, id. 39, 37, 5: an addictus, quem lex servire, donec solverit, jubet, servus sit, Quint. 7, 3, 26: qui Libertate caret, Serviet aeternum, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 41: servire liberaliter, Ter. And. 1, 1, 11: serviet utiliter (captivus), Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 70 et saep.: servire juste (opp. injuste imperare), Cic. Rep. 3, 18, 28; id. Phil. 6, 7, 19: vincti per centum annos servistis, Liv. 39, 37: servit vetus hostis Cantaber, serā domitus catenā, Hor. C. 3, 8, 21.—
(b). With dat. of the person to whom service is rendered, to be enslaved to, to serve: justum est, tuos tibi servos tuo arbitratu serviat, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 71: lenoni, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 33: servitum tibi me abducito, ni fecero, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 105: venire in eum locum, ubi parendum alteri et serviendum sit, Cic. Rab. Post. 8, 22; cf.: sive regi sive optimatibus serviant, id. Rep. 1, 35, 55: ut hoc populorum intersit, utrum comi domino an aspero serviant, etc., id. ib. 1, 33, 50: Athenas victas Lacedaemoniis servire pati, Nep. Alcib. 9, 4: minata, Servitura suo Capitolia nostra Canopo, Ov. M. 15, 827.—
(g). With apud: tam ille apud nos servit, quam ego nunc hic apud te servio, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 62: filius meus illi apud vos servit captus in Alide, id. ib. 2, 2, 80: hoc pacto apud te serviam, id. Aul. 1, 1, 12: apud lenonem, id. Poen. 4, 2, 87: si quis apud nos servisset, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 182.—
(d). With homogeneous object: servitutem: qui in servitute est eo jure, quo servus, aut, ut antiqui dixerunt, qui servitutem servit, Quint. 7, 3, 26: tu usque a puero servitutem servivisti in Alide, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 12: quorum majorum nemo servitutem servivit, Cic. Top. 6, 29; id. Mur. 29, 61: qui (cives) servitutem servissent, Liv. 40, 18, 7; 45, 15, 5: neque erile negotium plus curat quam si non servitutem serviat, Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 2; 3, 1, 150 (not servitute, v. Ritschl ad h. l.).—So with dat. of person: me servitutem servire huic homini optumo, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 31; id. Aul. 4, 1, 6; id. Rud. 3, 4, 42; cf.: sed is privatam servitutem servit illi an publicam? id. Capt. 2, 2, 84 (v. infra, II.): ego haud diu: ab ineunte adulescentiā tuis servivi servitutem imperiis, id. Trin. 2, 2, 21; and with apud: apud hunc servitutem servio, id. Mil. 2, 1, 17.—
B. Pass. (perh. only in the foll. passage): adsuescamus ... servis paucioribus serviri, Sen. Tranq. 9, 3.—
II. In gen., with dat. of object (a person or thing), to be devoted or subject to; to be of use or service to; to serve for, be fit or useful for; to do a service to, to comply with, gratify, humor, accommodate; to have respect to, to regard or care for; to consult, aim at, to accommodate one's self to, etc. (so esp. freq. in Cic.; cf.: pareo, appareo, ministro): tibi servio atque audiens sum imperii, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 25; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 15, 48: quoniam sibi (rei publicae) servissem semper, numquam mihi ... ut jam mihi servirem, consulerem meis, id. Planc. 38, 92; cf.: servire populo, id. ib. 4, 11; id. Fin. 5, 9, 27 et saep.: cum is, qui imperat aliis, servit ipse nulli cupiditati, id. Rep. 1, 34, 52; cf.: cum homines cupiditatibus iis, quibus ceteri serviunt, imperabunt, id. Lael. 22, 82: aetati hujus, id. Fin. 5, 9, 27: mori alicujus, Nep. Them. 1, 3: semper aut belli aut pacis serviit artibus, Vell. 1, 13, 3: amori aliorum flagitiosissime, Cic. Cat. 2, 4, 8: auribus alicujus, Caes. B. C. 2, 27: bello, id. B. G. 7, 34: brevitati, Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 327: commodis alicujus, id. Rep. 1, 4, 8; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24; id. Inv. 2, 45, 132: rei publicae commodis, id. Div. in Caecil. 20, 64; cf.: compendio suo privato, Caes. B. C. 3, 32: constantiae, Cic. Fam. 5, 16, 5: dignitati (with consulere rei publicae), id. Sest. 10, 23: dolori meo, id. ib. 6, 14: existimationi, Cic. Verr. 1, 10, 29; id. Att. 5, 11, 5: famae, id. ib. 5, 10, 2: gloriae, id. Tusc. 5, 3, 9: gravitati vocum aut suavitati, id. Or. 54, 182: vel honori multorum vel periculo (with obedire tempori), id. Brut. 69, 242: indulgentiae, id. Cael. 32, 79: iracundiae (with parere dolori), id. Prov. Cons. 1, 2: laudi et gloriae, id. Cat. 1, 9, 23: laudi existimationique, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 2, § 5: numeris (orationis), id. Or. 52, 176: oculis civium, id. Phil. 8, 10, 29: pecuniae, id. Tusc. 5, 3, 9: personae, id. Off. 3, 29, 106: petitioni, Cic. Verr. 1, 9, 24: posteritati, id. Tusc. 1, 15, 35: rei familiari, id. Rosc. Am. 15, 43; cf. rei, Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 27: rumori, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 14; Caes. B. G. 4, 5 fin.: tempori, Cic. Sest. 6, 14; id. Tusc. 3, 27, 66; id. Att. 8, 3, 6; 10, 7, 1: utilitati salutique, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 9, § 27: valetudini, id. Fam. 16, 18, 1: vectigalibus, id. de Or. 2, 40, 171: venustati vel maxime, id. ib. 2, 78, 316; 2, 80, 327: verbis praecedentibus, Quint. 9, 4, 63.— Pass. impers.: ut communi utilitati serviatur, Cic. Off. 1, 10, 31: concisum est ita, ut non brevitati servitum sit, sed magis venustati, id. de Or. 2, 80, 327.—
(b). With homogeneous object (cf. supra, I. δ): ab ineunte adulescentiā Tuis servivi servitutem imperiis et praeceptis, pater ... Meum animum tibi servitutem servire aequom censui, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 21 sqq.—
B. Transf., of things.
1. In gen., to help, assist, be serviceable to, be useful for (post-Aug.): ut totus truncus alienigenis surculis serviat, Col. 4, 29, 14; cf.: tabularia debent servire gallinis, id. 6, 3, 2: chartis serviunt calami, Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 157: candelae luminibus et funeribus serviunt, id. 16, 37, 70, § 178: eademque materia et cibis et probris serviat, id. 33, 12, 54, § 152: laetor quod domus aliquando C. Cassi, serviet domino non minori, Plin. Ep. 7, 24, 8.—
2. Esp., jurid. t. t., of buildings, lands, etc., to be subject to a servitude: praedia, quae serviebant, Cic. Agr. 3, 2, 9; so, aedes, id. Off. 3, 16, 67: neque servire quandam earum aedium partem in mancipi lege dixisset, id. de Or. 1, 39, 178: eodem numero (incorporalium) sunt et jura praediorum urbanorum et rusticorum, quae etiam servitutes vocantur, Gai. Inst. 2, 14 fin.; Paul. Sent. 1, 17; cf. Dig. 8, 2, 20, §§ 3 and 5; 8, 6, 8, § 1 al.; and v. servitus, II. B., and servus, II.

Origins

By surface analysis, servus (“slave, servant”) + -iō. Perhaps from Proto-Italic *serwiō, itself related to *serwos. Possibly cognate with Umbrian 𐌑𐌄𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌖 (seritu).

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanservir
  • Englishservefrom Old French servir
  • Frenchservirfrom Old French servir
  • Germanservierenfrom Old French servir
  • Occitanservirfrom Old Occitan servir
  • Aragoneseservir
  • Franco-Provençalservir
  • Walloonsiervifrom Old French servir
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianselvire
  • Sardinianserbire
  • Sardinianserbiri
  • Sardinianservire
  • Sardinianserviri
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseservirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese servir
  • Spanishservir
  • Asturiansirvir
  • Asturianservir
  • Falaservilfrom Old Galician-Portuguese servir
  • Galicianservirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese servir
  • Hunsriksërvierefrom Old Galician-Portuguese servir
Balkan Romance
  • Romanianșerbi
  • Megleno-Romaniansirbes, sirbiri
  • Albanianshërbej
Italo-Romance
  • Italianservire
  • Siciliansèrbiri
Padanian
  • Emiliansarvîr
  • Friulianservî
  • Ligurianservî
  • Lombardservir
  • Piedmonteseserve
  • Piedmonteseservì
  • Romanshservir
  • Romanshsurvir
  • Romanshsarvir
  • Romanshsarveir

Quick answers

What does serviō mean in Latin?
serviō, a verb, means “to be a slave to; to serve; to be devoted to, subject to”.
What are the principal parts of serviō?
serviō, servīre, servīvī, servītum (fourth conjugation, impersonal in the passive).
How do you pronounce serviō?
In classical Latin, [ˈsɛr.wi.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsɛr.vi.o].