Servile, a.
Etymology: [L. servile, fr. servus a servant or slave: cf. F. servile. See Serve.]
1. Of or pertaining to a servant or slave; befitting a servant or a slave; proceeding from dependence; hence, meanly submissive; slavish; mean; cringing; fawning; as, servile flattery; servile fear; servile obedience. She must bend the servile knee. Thomson. Fearing dying pays death servile breath. Shak.
2. Held in subjection; dependent; enslaved. Even fortune rules no more, O servile land! Pope.
3. (Gram.) (a) Not belonging to the original root; as, a servile letter. (b) Not itself sounded, but serving to lengthen the preceeding vowel, as e in tune.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Servile, n. (Gram.)
An element which forms no part of the original root; -- opposed to radical.
Shades of meaning
Fernald lists servile only as an antonym, under royal.
He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.