Where does “self-righteousness” come from?
self-righteousness (English) comes from English righteousness, from English rightwiseness, from Middle English rightwisnes, from Old English rihtwīsnes, from Old English -nes, from Proto-West Germanic -nassī, from Proto-Germanic -inassuz, from Proto-West Germanic -ī — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
self-righteousness (English): Confidence in one's own righteousness,...
Definitions
- Confidence in one's own righteousness,...
Ancestry of “self-righteousness”, step by step
self-righteousness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English righteousness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | righteousness | The quality or state of being righteous;... |
| 2 | English | rightwiseness | righteousness |
| 3 | Middle English | rightwisnes | justice |
| 4 | Old English | rihtwīsnes | justice, righteousness |
| 5 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
via English self-righteous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | self-righteous | Piously self-assured and smugly moralistic |
| 2 | English | self- | of, by, in or with oneself or itself; automatic |
| 3 | Middle English | self- | — |
| 4 | Old English | seolf- | Alternative form of self- |
| 5 | Old English | self- | self, oneself; own, one's own |
| 6 | Old English | self | self; oneself, personally |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | *selb | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |