Yourself
/jʊrˈsɛlf/noun
An emphatic or reflexive form of 'you,' used to refer back to the person being addressed.
Did you know?“Yourself” is not an ancient standalone word at all; it was built in Middle English by combining the possessive pronoun *your* with *self*, a reflexive element descended from Old English *self*—a grammatical mirror that makes language point back at the speaker.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
þū self
“you yourself; the person addressed, emphatically”
Middle English
ME
your self
“your own self; reflexive/emphatic form addressing the listener”
Middle English
ME
yourself
“contracted written form of the reflexive/emphatic phrase”
Modern English
EN
yourself
“reflexive or emphatic form of 'you'”