Where does “yourselves” come from?
yourselves (English) comes from English selves, from English self, from Middle English sulf, from Old English sylf, from Old English self, from Proto-West Germanic *selb, from Proto-Germanic selbaz, from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ- — self.
yourselves (English): You (plural)
Definitions
- You (plural)
Ancestry of “yourselves”, step by step
yourselves traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English selves
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | selves | plural of self |
| 2 | English | self | Himself, herself, itself, themselves; that... |
| 3 | Middle English | sulf | — |
| 4 | Old English | sylf | self, oneself |
| 5 | Old English | self | self; oneself, personally |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *selb | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |
via English your
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | your | Belonging to you; of you; related to you; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | your | Alternative form of youre |
| 3 | Old English | ēower | your plural |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | iuwar | your, yours, of you |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | izweraz | your; 2nd person plural possessive |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | jūz | you |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yū́ | you |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | túh₂ | you, thou |