Where does “itself” come from?
Itself comes from English it and English self, which derives from Middle English self, Old English self, and Proto-Indo-European selbʰ- and s(w)e-.
itself (English): it; it; used to refer back to an earlier subject
Definitions
- it; it; used to refer back to an earlier subject
Ancestry of “itself”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hit-self | itself |
| 2 | Middle English | self | same, aforementioned; very; own |
| 3 | Old English | self | self; oneself, personally |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *selb | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |