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
Ancestry of “self”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | *selb | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |
Words derived from “self”