Where does “selfly” come from?
selfly (Middle English) comes from Old English selflīċ, 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.
Ancestry of “selfly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | selflīċ | automatic, spontaneous, voluntary |
| 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 |