Where does “selfsame” come from?
Selfsame derives from Middle English selve same, a combination emphasizing identity through repetition of the same word.
selfsame (English): Precisely the same; the very same; identical
Definitions
- Precisely the same; the very same; identical
Ancestry of “selfsame”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | self sam | — |
| 2 | Middle English | self | same, aforementioned; very; own |
| 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 “selfsame”