Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “self-effacingly” come from?

self-effacingly (English) comes from English self-effacing, from English self-, from Middle English self-, from Old English seolf-, from Old English self-, from Old English self, from Proto-West Germanic *selb, from Proto-Germanic selbaz — self.

self-effacingly (English): The quality of carrying oneself in a humble...

Definitions

  1. The quality of carrying oneself in a humble...

Ancestry of “self-effacingly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishself-effacingShy, extremely humble and modest; making oneself...
2Englishself-of, by, in or with oneself or itself; automatic
3Middle Englishself-—
4Old Englishseolf-Alternative form of self-
5Old Englishself-self, oneself; own, one's own
6Old Englishselfself
7Proto-West Germanic*selb—
8Proto-Germanicselbazself
9Proto-Indo-Europeanselbʰ-one's own
10Proto-Indo-Europeans(w)e-separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanswéself
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swé →