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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sulf | — |
| 2 | Old English | sylf | self, oneself |
| 3 | Old English | self | self |
| 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 |
Words derived from “self”