Szolgáló

Szolgáló is a Hungarian noun and adjective formed from the verb szolgál, meaning to serve. As a standalone noun it traditionally denotes a person who serves others, i.e., a servant or attendant. Historically it referred to domestic staff in households, hotels, or courts. In modern usage it is largely found in compound forms or in stylistic contexts, while more specific occupational terms are common for contemporary roles.

In the hospitality industry, the standard term for a restaurant server is felszolgáló. The word szolgáló can still be understood in a broad sense as “server” or appear in older or more literary contexts, but it is less common for everyday job titles today.

In information technology and computing, szolgáló appears in compounds meaning a service provider or server. For example, kiszolgáló refers to a server that provides services to clients, and is used to describe hardware or software that performs functions for other programs or users. In these contexts the term often coexists with kiszolgáló or szolgáltató to denote service-providing components.

Etymology and related terms: szolgáló is derived from szolgál, with the agent-noun suffix -ó. Related terms include szolgáltató (service provider), kiszolgáló (server), and felszolgáló (waiter/waitress). The exact meaning depends on context, and usage ranges from historical and literary to contemporary tech and industry terminology.