Where does “self” come from?

self (Old English) comes 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.

self (Old English): self; oneself, personally

Definitions

  1. self; oneself, personally

Ancestry of “self”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*selb—
2Proto-Germanicselbazself
3Proto-Indo-Europeanselbʰ-one's own
4Proto-Indo-Europeans(w)e-separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswéself

Words derived from “self”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swé →Every word from Proto-Indo-European s(w)e- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ- →