selbst German · revision 34876

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *selbaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Germany: /zɛlpst/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany, colloquial: /zɛlps/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland: /sɛlpst/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''selbst''' (indeclinable demonstrative pronoun; adverb)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older form was ''selbs'', used until the 16th and 17th centuries: Luther writes ''wer eine Gruben macht / der wird selbs drein fallen''.^(Paul 2002) Goethe and Schiller sometimes wrote ''selbsten''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the frozen genitive singular of the pronoun [[selb]], [[inh|gmh|selbes]], with an excrescent final /t/ as in [[sonst]] and [[einst]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) The form with /t/ appears around 1300 in East Central German, in the phrase [[m|gmh|dâ selbest]], and as a single syllable from the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|16, 445) [[selber]] is the strong nominative masculine singular of the same pronoun.^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The pronoun is [[goh|selb]], [[gem-pro|*selbaz]].^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler AHD) The same word is [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐌰|tr=silba]], [[non|sjálfr]], [[ang|seolf]], [[ofs|self]] and [[osx|self]], and today [[nl|zelf]], [[en|self]], [[sv|själv]] and [[is|sjálfur]].^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Its origin is not certain.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The nearest comparison is [[xve|sselboisselboi|t=oneself]], with the same doubling as Old High German [[m|goh|selbselbo]].^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Pfeifer 1993) It is usually analysed as the reflexive stem [[ine-pro|*se-]] of [[sich]], with an l-suffix and the adjective suffix [[ine-pro|*-bʰo-]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|841) Kluge also compares [[sga|selb]] and [[cy|helw]], both “possession”, from [[ine-pro|*sel-wo-]], and cites Oettinger, who analyses it as the reflexive [[ine-pro|*s(w)e-]] with an element of belonging [[ine-pro|*-el]] and the same adjective suffix.^(Kluge 2011|841)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''selb'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in almost every Old High German text, meaning “self, the same, this very, own” and “even”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|275)^(EWA|7, 1076)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 12th century ''selber'' could stand for every case; today it counts as the colloquial form of ''selbst''.^(Pfeifer 1993) The combination with the article grew into [[derselbe]] from late Middle High German to the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|7, 1076) Beside places, ''selbst'' faded in [[daselbst]] “there”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The adverb ''selbst'' “even”, stressing that something is unexpected, is used from the 16th century.^(Paul 2002) The saying ''selbst ist der Mann'' “do it yourself” is recorded from 1623.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Selbst]] “the self-aware ego” was formed in the 18th century after English ''the self'', first in a religious and moral sense, and [[selbstisch]] “selfish” after English ''selfish''.^(Duden 7 2007)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Many compounds have ''selbst-'' in place of the older ''selb-'': ''Selbstlaut'' “vowel” (''selbstlauten'', 1531), [[Selbstmord]] (17th century, for Latin ''suicidium''), ''Selbstverwaltung'' (early 19th century, after English ''self-government'').^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''selb'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 12th century – ''selber'' begins to be used for all cases.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1300 – ''dâ selbest'' appears in East Central German texts.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|16, 445)

+ * 15th century – The single-syllable form ''selbst'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1531 – ''selbstlauten'' “vowels” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''selbst'' is used as an adverb “even”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1623 – The saying ''selbst ist der Mann'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – The noun ''Selbst'' is formed after English ''the self''.^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(stressed, after the word it refers to)'' Stresses that this person or thing and no other is meant: [[m|en|himself]], herself, itself: ''Die Ministerin selbst eröffnete die Brücke.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # By oneself, without help: ''Er repariert sein Auto selbst.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''von selbst'': by itself, without outside cause: ''Die Tür ging von selbst auf.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(colloquial, after a noun of a quality)'' The very embodiment of: ''Sie war die Geduld selbst.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|even]]: ''Selbst sein Bruder wusste nichts davon.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[selber]]

+ * [[derselbe]]

+ * [[daselbst]]

+ * [[Selbst]]

+ * [[selbstisch]]

+ * [[selbständig]]

+ * [[selbstverständlich]]

+ * [[Selbstmord]]

+ * [[Selbstbewusstsein]]

+ * [[Selbstlaut]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sich]]

+ * [[en|self]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}