Where does “naked self-interest” come from?

naked self-interest (English) comes from English self-interest, from English interest, from Old French interest, from French intérêt, from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse, from Latin esse, from Ancient Greek οὐσία — to be.

naked self-interest (English): at all costs, with no regard for ethical considerations

Definitions

  1. at all costs, with no regard for ethical considerations

Ancestry of “naked self-interest”, step by step

naked self-interest traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English self-interest

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishself-interestOne's personal interest or advantage, especially...
2EnglishinterestThe price paid for obtaining, or price received...
3Old Frenchinterest
4Frenchintérêtinterest; point
5Medieval Latininteressepresent active infinitive of intersum; to...
6Latininteressepresent active infinitive of intersum; to...
7Latinessepresent infinitive of sum; state, condition;...
8Ancient Greekοὐσίαthat which is one's own, one's substance,...
9Ancient GreekεἰμίTo be, exist; live; To be; it is possible
10Proto-Hellenicehmito be
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ésmifirst-person singular present indicative of...
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ēs-to be

via English naked

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnakedBare, not covered by clothing; Lacking some...
2Middle EnglishnakedUncovered; exposed, visible; Having none of...
3Old Englishnacodnaked; past participle of nacian
4Proto-West Germanic*nak(k)wadnaked
5Proto-Germanicnakwadaznaked
6Proto-Indo-Europeannogʷósbare, naked; naked, bare; naked, nude
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ēs-