Where does “selfhood” come from?
Selfhood comes from Middle English -hod (a suffix forming abstract nouns) combined with Old English self, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European s(w)e- meaning "oneself."
selfhood (English): State of having a distinct identity, or being an...
Definitions
- State of having a distinct identity, or being an...
Ancestry of “selfhood”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Self | Himself, herself, itself, themself, themselves; that specific (person mentioned) |
| 2 | Middle English | salve | Alternative form of sauf |
| 3 | Old English | sealf | salve |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | salbu | salve, ointment |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | salbō | salve, ointment |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | solp-éh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | selp- | fat, oil |