Servers

In my recent spate of "uzi-blogging" (see earlier blog) I mentioned "server" as a computer term. (see earlier blog). It got me to thinking. (Etymology of server: Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus, slave.) A server, in the way I'm going to use it here, is someone who serves food and drink. (It can also be the tray on which the food and drink is served, or someone who serves a summons, or the player who serves the ball, but I digress.) I find it interesting that the word "server" has found its way into restaurant usage -- probably because it's a unisex term. But it's only used in certain mid-range restaurants. If I eat at a diner, I'll probably be served by a female who is called a waitress and is probably wearing a uniform, possibly with a hankie in her pocket. If I eat in an upscale NYC restaurant, I'll probably be served by a male who is called a waiter and is likely to be wearing a straight white apron that goes from just above his waist to just above his trouser cuff. But if I eat at Ruby Tuesday or TGIFriday or Appleby's, the host or hostess (I have no idea why THOSE words have stuck around. Soon, they'll probably be called "seaters" or "reservationists" or -- best of all -- "table usage technicians.") Anyway, this person will lead me to my seat and say, "Your server this evening will be Josh (or Samantha, or whoever). We hear the word "server" a lot more than we used to.

And in computing terms, a server is a program or a physical computer dedicated to "serving" the "needs" of other programs.