The story
- Proto-Indo-European*ser-
- Proto-Slavic*sьrbъ
- Serbo-CroatianСрби /Srbi
- English todaySerb
From Serbo-Croatian Срби /Srbi, from Proto-Slavic *sьrbъ (“ally, Serb, Sorb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to protect, watch over”); akin to Latin servo (“to guard, to protect”), Old English searu (“weapons, armor”), Lithuanian sárgas (“watchman”), Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “hero”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haraⁱti), 𐬵𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haᵘruuaⁱti, “to guard”). Doublet of Sorb.
Words from the same roots
Proto-Indo-European*ser- all →
seriesinsertheroobserveconciergeHermessorcerersorceryheresyberserksarksortieberserkerHeratdiaeresissereseracensorcellirenic
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.