One way to hold subservient: two things on a , one standing below the other and serving it. Whatever is below does not set the direction; it waits, and it gives way. Put a person on the lower step and you get someone who never says no. Put a rule or a need there and you get something that has to come second.
可以想成一個上下兩層的畫面：一個在上面，一個在下面服務。下面那個不決定方向，只是等著、讓路。把一個「人」放到下層，就成了唯命是從、沒有自己聲音的那種順從。把一條規定或一項需求放到下層，就成了「次要的、必須讓步的」。同一個高低關係，換掉站在下層的東西，就走出這個字的兩個用法。
From the word’s history
From Latin subserviens, from subservio 'to serve under'.
來源可以想成拉丁文 subservio：sub-（在下面）加 servire（服務），字面就是「在下面服務」。這正好就是上下兩層的畫面，今天兩個意思都還站在裡面。
Wiktionary, "subservient"
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