self
/sɛlf/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*selbaz — own, self
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person's particular nature or individuality; the ego.
- The person or thing referred to, especially when the subject of an action is also the object.
Literal older meaning
one's own person
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
self
Earliest period
Old English (c. 8th–9th century)
Journey
The word functions as both a pronoun and an adjective throughout its history. In Old English, it was often declined to agree with the noun it modified, a feature lost in Middle English as the language shifted toward analytic structures.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*selbʰ-
“one's own”
Reflexive pronoun root.
- Proto-Germanic
*selbaz
“own, self”
Addition of Germanic adjective suffix.
- Old English
self
“self, same”
Used as an adjective or pronoun.
- Middle English
self
“self”
Spelling stabilized; differentiation between 'self' as a pronoun and intensifier grew.
- Modern English
self
“individual entity”
Commonly used in compound words like 'self-esteem'.
Connections
Word parts
self
root
one's own
Related across languages
Dutch
zelf
self
German
selbst
self
Icelandic
sjálfur
self
Explore next
Related to self
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.