Serb

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member or native of the South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with Serbia and surrounding regions ; the language spoken by this group belonging to the South Slavic branch ; relating to the culture or national identity of this ethnic group
2. An individual belonging to the Slavic people predominantly inhabiting Serbia and parts of the Balkans ; the South Slavic language used by this community ; pertaining to the traditions, customs, or nationality tied to this group
3. A person identified with the ethnic nation chiefly found in Serbia and neighboring countries ; the language derived from the South Slavic linguistic family spoken by this population ; characteristic of the ethnic or cultural heritage associated with this community

Etymology: The people called Serbs got their name from a root meaning "to protect" or "to watch over." The Proto-Slavic form "sьrbъ" meant something like "ally," and it was used for Serbs and for the related Sorbs, the Slavic people of eastern Germany. English keeps the two apart today, but they are doublets: two words from the same source that reached English by different routes. That root, reconstructed as "ser-," also sits behind some surprising relatives. Latin "servo," meaning "to guard" or "to protect," gave English "conserve" and "preserve." Ancient Greek "hērōs," the word for a hero, shares the same ancestry, as does Old English "searu," meaning weapons or armour. The connection is by descent from a common ancestral language, not by borrowing.