Dictionary formservo, servare, servavi, servatum
Translation
to save, preserve; to keep, guard; to observe
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Examples
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God saved the people.
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We ought to keep the laws.
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The law ought to be kept by everyone.
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The soldiers are guarding the city.
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If he had come, he would have saved the city.
Servo, servare, servavi, servatum is first conjugation, and it runs across three senses that share one idea, keeping something intact: rescue, preserve, and watch over. From the third comes the technical use in religion and law, servare de caelo, to watch the sky for omens, and servare leges, to observe the laws.
Two things to keep straight. Servo is not servio, servire, "I am a slave to, I serve", which is fourth conjugation and takes the dative, and it is not built on servus despite appearances; the resemblance has misled readers for centuries. In medieval texts servare is far more often "keep, observe" than anything to do with saving. The syncopated forms servasse and servasset for servavisse and servavisset are standard, not scribal sloppiness.
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servo: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "servo" (to save, preserve; to keep, guard; to observe): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 4, lesson 12: servo, porta, amplius and 11 more words.