themselves English · revision 3481

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=14th century|origins=enm them}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ðəmˈselvz/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an alteration of Middle English tham-self, theim-self, an emphatic and reciprocal plural pronoun of the 14th century,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from [[them]] and [[self]], with the plural ending [[-s]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002) The SOED explains that ''self'' was originally an inflected adjective, later understood as a noun meaning “person” and so given a plural.^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline) It replaced Old English heom selfum.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ As an emphatic pronoun, ''these very persons'', from the 14th century in the OED,^(OED 1989) or the 13th century in Merriam-Webster.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024) The form ''themselves'' appears in northern dialect in the mid-15th century and is standard from the 1540s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The objective use, as the object of a verb or preposition, is from the 14th century,^(OED 1989) and its use in agreement with a singular word denoting a person, such as ''everyone'', is recorded from 1464.^(OED 1989) ''To be themselves'', “to be in their normal condition”, is from 1698.^(OED 1989) Etymonline notes that the singular ''themself'' returned in the late 20th century, when some writers began to use it in place of ''himself'' after ''everyone'' or ''anyone''.^(Etymonline) The SOED records ''themself'' as the earlier and now rare form.^(SOED 2002) Scots and Irish English have forms such as ''themsel'' and ''thimselves''.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – ''tham-self'', ''theim-self''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1464 – with a singular antecedent.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-15th century – ''themselves'' in northern dialect.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1540s – ''themselves'' standard.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1698 – ''to be themselves''.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 20th century – ''themself'' revived.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Used [[reflexive|alt=reflexively]] as the object of a verb or preposition: ''they hurt themselves''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Used for emphasis: ''they themselves did it''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Their normal or healthy condition: ''not themselves today''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[them]]

+ * [[self]]

+ * [[themself]]

+ * [[they]]

+ * [[their]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}