Where does “selfish” come from?
Selfish derives from Middle English -isch added to Old English self, which comes from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ-, ultimately from the reflexive pronoun s(w)e-.
selfish (English): Holding one's own self-interest as the standard...
Definitions
- Holding one's own self-interest as the standard...
Ancestry of “selfish”, 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 |