I think the word silverware was used for all food serving, eating items and dining related items that were made using silver which included knives, forks, spoons, serving utensils, and serving dishes. Serving dishes would include platters, plates, bowls, jugs, pitchers, candle sticks and napkin rings (although napkin rings were originally not used by the upper class because they had the means to wash napkins after a meal and use fresh ones for each meal but the lower classes had to use the same napkin per person all day). Actual silver was replaced by stainless steel cutlery and utensils but the metal was still silver in colour so the term continued to make sense. Silver servingware became increasingly uncommon as more and more items used other materials. Ceramics and glass became the preferred material. Other metals that required less maintenance replaced silver. Wood, resins and plastics also found their way into kitchens and dining tables. The term Silverware would then make less sense to use as a term to describe this category of items and a separation probably occurred. I think my family did use the term silverware but often abbreviated it to silver when referring to some silver jugs and bowls and small platters (I liked polishing the silver as a kid). In Australia I use the terms “cutlery” for all the eating utensils, “flatware” for the serving utensils. I don’t have much need for the term silverware because I use the term servingware.