itself | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

547 entries found.

late 14c., from Old English hit sylf, from it + self. Since 17c. usually regarded as its self (thus its own self, etc.).

in-itselfness (n.)

1879, in philosophy; see in (adv.) + itself + -ness.

aseity (n.)

"a being by itself, independent existence," 1690s, from Medieval Latin aseitas "state of being by itself," from Latin a "from" (see ab-) + se "oneself" (see suicide).

idempotent (n.)

in algebra, quantity which multiplied by itself gives itself, 1870, from Latin idem "the same, identical with" (see idem) + potentem "powerful" (see potent).

SUV

by 1988, abbreviation of sport/utility vehicle (itself attested from 1982).

bestest (adj.)

jocular emphatic superlative of best (itself a superlative), attested from 1834.

occur (v.)

1520s, "meet, meet in argument," from French occurrer "happen unexpectedly" or directly from Latin occurrere "run to meet, run against, befall, present itself," from ob "against, toward" (see ob-) + currere "to run" (from PIE root *kers- "to run"). Sense development is from "meet" to "present itself" to "appear" to "happen" ("present itself in the course of events"). Meaning "to come into one's mind" is from 1620s. Related: Occurred; occurring.

self-perception (n.)

"faculty of the immediate introspection of the soul by itself," 1670s, from self- + perception.

self-cleaning (adj.)

"designed to keep itself clean automatically," 1898, from self- + present-participle of clean (v.).

self-destruct (v.)

in reference to things, "destroy itself automatically;" see self- + destruct, apparently first attested in the U.S. television series "Mission Impossible" (1966). Self-destructive "having the property of annulling itself" is recorded from 1650s, and self-destruction "destruction of oneself, suicide" is attested from 1580s; self-destroying (n.) is from 1610s.

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