Servius (praenomen)
Encyclopedia
Servius is a Latin praenomen
, or personal name
, which was used throughout the period of the Roman Republic
, and well into imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Servilia
. The feminine form is Servia. The name was regularly abbreviated Ser.
Servius was never one of the most common praenomina; about ten other names were used more frequently. Most families did not use it, although it was a favorite of the Cornelii and the Sulpicii, two of the greatest patrician houses at Rome. The name gradually became less common towards the end of the Republic, but was still used in imperial times.
, which appears to have a similar meaning.
Varro
had nothing to say about the name, although the epitome, De Praenominibus ("Concerning Praenomina") by Julius Paris, suggests that it was given to a child whose mother died in childbirth. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, apparently followed by Festus, indicated that it was given to a child whose mother was held in bondage. This etymology was based on the similarity between Servius and servus, a slave, and although it is certainly an example of false etymology
, the association of these words is probably the main reason that Servius was not more common.
Praenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
, or personal name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
, which was used throughout the period of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, and well into imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Servilia
Servilia (gens)
The gens Servilia was a patrician family at Rome. The gens was celebrated during the early ages of the Republic, and the names of few gentes appear more frequently at this period in the consular Fasti. It continued to produce men of influence in the state down to the latest times of the Republic,...
. The feminine form is Servia. The name was regularly abbreviated Ser.
Servius was never one of the most common praenomina; about ten other names were used more frequently. Most families did not use it, although it was a favorite of the Cornelii and the Sulpicii, two of the greatest patrician houses at Rome. The name gradually became less common towards the end of the Republic, but was still used in imperial times.
Origin and meaning of the name
The original meaning of Servius was forgotten by the late Republic. Chase derives the name from the verb servo, to keep or preserve. This seems consistent with other Latin praenomina, such as SertorSertor (praenomen)
Sertor is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was used during the Roman Republic. It was never common, and is not known to have been used by any prominent families at Rome. It gave rise to the patronymic gens Sertoria. The feminine form was probably Sertora...
, which appears to have a similar meaning.
Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
had nothing to say about the name, although the epitome, De Praenominibus ("Concerning Praenomina") by Julius Paris, suggests that it was given to a child whose mother died in childbirth. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, apparently followed by Festus, indicated that it was given to a child whose mother was held in bondage. This etymology was based on the similarity between Servius and servus, a slave, and although it is certainly an example of false etymology
False etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
, the association of these words is probably the main reason that Servius was not more common.