what does "Non Serviam" mean?

[l...@ihuxr.uucp]

The story "Non Serviam" by Stanislav Lem has been mentioned several
times by myself and others. I liked this story but I'm puzzled by the
title. What is the exact meaning of it? I noticed a picture of a RC
bishop in the newspaper recently - he had the word SERVIAM on his
"crown", or whatever it's called. Evidently, "Non Serviam" is an allusion
to this religious usage.

I tried looking this up in a Latin book I have, although my knowledge
of Latin is nil. "servio" means "I serve" and as near as I can
figure "serviam" means "I served", but I certainly wouldn't want to
rule out some other grammatical form being used here.

I want to know: 1) what is the exact Latin meaning of "Serviam"? 2)
2) what is its religious significance?, and 3) what does "Non Serviam"
have to do with Lem's story?

It seems like the title must have something to do with the reluctance
of the personoid's creator to interfere in their world, but I can't
really tie it together.

Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew

[le...@princeton.uucp]

"Serviam" is not a past tense -- it is a present subjuctive. It means
(by itself) something like "That I may serve", or "May I serve". "Non
serviam" is the opposite.

Not having read Lem's story, I cannot answer your 2nd and 3rd questions.

-- Silvio Levy

[Dave Sherman]

I have never run into "non serviam", but all that Latin I took in high
school tells me that if "servio" is the verb, then "serviam" is the
subjunctive. "Non serviam" would presumably mean "let me not serve".

Dave Sherman
--
{cornell,decvax,floyd,ihnp4,linus,utzoo,uw-beaver,watmath}!utcsrgv!lsuc!dave

[Silvio Levy]

It has occurred to me that "serviam" can also be future indicative
(besides present subjuctive), so the religious "serviam" may be something
like a vow (I shall serve). As for the story...

Silvio Levy

[Roger L. Hale]

"Serviam" would also be the future of servio;
Stephan Daedalus used `non serviam' to mean
he WOULD NOT SERVE -- the Church, England, Ireland.
This is recorded in great depth in `Portrait of the Artist
as a Young Man' and `Ulysses', by James Joyce (of course).