Self
/sɛlf/noun
A person’s essential being or identity; also used as a pronoun meaning the same person or thing.
Did you know?English self comes from a Proto-Germanic form meaning “same,” and its deeper relatives include words for sameness and even “single” in other Indo-European branches.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sem-
“one; together; same”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*selbaz
“self; same”
Old English
English
self
“self; same; own”
Middle English
English
self
“the same person or thing; one’s own”
Modern English
English
self
“a person’s essential identity or own person”