Where does “self” come from?
Self comes from Old English self, which derives from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ-, ultimately from the reflexive pronoun root s(w)e- meaning oneself.
self (English): Himself, herself, itself, themselves; that...
Definitions
- Himself, herself, itself, themselves; that...
Ancestry of “self”, step by step
self traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sulf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sulf | — |
| 2 | Old English | sylf | self, oneself |
| 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 |
via Middle English self
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | self | same, aforementioned; very; own |
via Middle English silf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | silf | Alternative form of self |