Where does “yourself” come from?
yourself (English) comes from Middle English self, from Old English self, from Proto-West Germanic *selb, from Proto-Germanic selbaz, from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European s(w)e-, from Proto-Indo-European swé — self.
yourself (English): Your own self; You
Definitions
- Your own self; You
Ancestry of “yourself”, step by step
yourself traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English self
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | self | same, aforementioned; very; own |
| 2 | Old English | self | self; oneself, personally |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *selb | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |