self-

See also: self, Self, šelf, -self, and self.

English

Etymology

From Middle English self-, silf-, seolf-, from Old English self-, sylf-, seolf-, from Proto-Germanic *selba-, from Proto-Germanic *selbaz (“self”). Cognate with Dutch zelf- (“self-”), German Low German sülvst- (“self-”), German selbst- (“self-”), Swedish själv- (“self-”), Icelandic sjálf- (“self-”). More at self.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /sɛlf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Prefix

self-

1. of, by, in or with oneself or itself
2. automatic

Usage notes

• Words derived from self- are usually formed with a hyphen. Using a hyphen is recommended by the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual.

Synonyms

• (of, by, in or with oneself or itself): auto-, ipsi-

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with self-

• self-adjointness
• self-centeredness
• self-confidently
• self-consciously
• self-drilling screw
• self-finished
• self-finishing
• self-fulfilling prophecy
• self-injured
• self-injures
• self-injuring
• self-raising flour
• self-referential meaning
• self-tapping screw

 

Translations

of, by, in or with oneself or itself

• Bashkir: үҙ- (üź-)
• Catalan: auto- (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自相 (zh) (zìxiāng), 自己 (zh) (zìjǐ), 自 (zh) (zì)

• Czech: sebe- (cs), své-
• Finnish: itse-
• French: auto- (fr)
• Galician: auto- (gl)
• Georgian: თვით- (tvit-), თავ- (tav-)
• German: selbst-, auto- (de)
• Greek: αυτο- (el) (afto-), αυτό- (el) (aftó-)
• Hebrew: עצמי (he) (atzmí)
• Hungarian: ön- (hu)
• Indonesian: swa-
• Irish: féin-
• Italian: auto- (it)
• Japanese: 自己 (ja) (じこ, jiko), 自 (ja) (じ, ji)
• Malay: swa- (ms)
• Maori: kiriaro
• Polish: samo- (pl)
• Portuguese: auto- (pt)
• Russian: само- (ru) (samo-), себе- (sebe-), авто- (ru) (avto-)
• Scottish Gaelic: fèin-
• Spanish: auto- (es)

Anagrams

• FLES, LSFE, elfs

Old English

Alternative forms

• seolf-, sylf-

Etymology

From pronoun self.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /self/, [seɫf]

Prefix

self-

1. self

   ‎self- + ‎cwalu (“killing”) → ‎selfcwalu (“suicide”)

   ‎self- + ‎-dōm (“-dom”) → ‎selfdōm (“independence”)

   ‎self- + ‎-wille (“willing”) → ‎selfwille (“voluntary”)

Derived terms

Old English terms prefixed with self-

Descendants

• Middle English: self-, sylf-, seolf-
  • English: self-