egos
/ˈiːɡoʊz/
noun
Origin
Latin
ego — I
Overview
Meaning Now
- plural of ego; the conscious selves or individualities of persons.
- exaggerated feelings of self-importance or conceit.
Literal older meaning
I's
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
ego
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term 'ego' entered English usage primarily through the translation of Kantian and later Freudian psychology. In psychoanalytic theory, the 'ego' represents the mediator between the id's base desires and the superego's moral constraints. Over time, the term shifted from this clinical technicality to the common vernacular, where it now refers to vanity or the perceived self-worth of individuals.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*eǵh₂-
“I”
- Latin
ego
“I”
First-person singular pronoun
- Early 19th-century English
ego
“The self; the conscious subject”
Used initially in philosophical contexts
- 20th-century English
egos
“Multiple selves or inflated senses of self”
Pluralized form gaining common usage
Connections
Word parts
ego
root
self/I
s
ending
plural suffix
Related across languages
Greek
egṓ
I
German
ich
I
Sanskrit
aham
I
Explore next
Related to egos
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.