self 
myself), me self inn, 'to me self (to myself), me 
selfiie, 'me self (myself ),_pl. ice selfe, 'we self 
(we ourselves), etc.; so tku8elfa(thuself),'ihon 
self (thyself), tliin selfes, 'of thee self (of thy- 
self), etc., he se.lja (he setf), 'he self (himself), 
lux gelfcs, 'of him self ''(of himself), etc., the 
adj. self becoming coalesced with the preceding 
pronoun in the oblique cases mine, nnj, me, our, 
tliiiic, tli//, thee, your, his, him, her, their, them, 
etc., these being ultimately reduced in each 
instance to a single form, which is practically 
the dative me, thee, him, her, them, etc. (in 
which the ace. was merged), mixed in part with 
the genitive mine, my, our, thine, thy, your, etc., 
these orig. genitives in time assuming the ap- 
pearance of mere possess! ves, and self thus tak- 
ing on the semblance of a noun governed by 
them, whence the later independent use of self 
as a noun (see III.). The reflexive combination 
me self e, him selfe (selve), etc., came to be used, 
as the dative of reference, to indicate more dis- 
tinctly the person referred to ' I (for) my self,' 
'he (for) him self,' etc., thus leading to the em- 
phatic use. The former (AS. ME.) adj. pi. -e 
has now changed to the noun pi. -cs (selves, as 
in wolres, wives, etc.). Itself 'and oneself retain 
the original order of simple juxtaposition: it + 
self, one + self. In the more common one's self, 
self is treated as an independent noun.] I. a. 
1. Same; identical; very same; very. [Obso- 
lete or archaic except when followed by same. 
See selfsame.] 
She was slayn, right in the selve place. 
Chaucer, Franklin's Tale, 1. 666. 
Than hit semet, for-sothe, that the selfe woman 
Wold haue faryn hym fro. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 13828. 
As it [discretio] is cornmunely used, it is nat only like to 
Modestie, but it is the selfe modestie. 
Sir T. Elyat, The Governour, i. 25. 
To shoot another arrow that self way 
Which you did shoot the first. 
Shak., M. of V., i. 1. 148. 
2f. Own; personal. 
Thy selve neighebor wol thee despyse. 
Chaucer, Man of Law's Tale, 1. 17. 
Who . . . by self and violent hands 
Took off her life. Shak., Macbeth, T. 8. 70. 
3. Single; simple; plain; unmixed with any 
other : particularly noting colors : as, seZ/-col- 
ored. 
The patterns, large bold scrolls, plain and embossed, 
generally in blue, upon a ge^-drab ground. 
J. Arrowxmith, Paper-Hanger's Companion, p. 82. 
II. pron, A pronominal element affixed to 
certain personal pronouns and pronominal ad- 
jectives to express emphasis or distinction, or 
to denote a reflexive use. Thus, for emphasis, I my- 
self will write ; I will examine for myself; thou thyself 
shalt go ; thou shalt see for thyself; the writing itself 
shall be exhibited. " I myself will decide " not only ex- 
presses my determination to decide, but my determina- 
tion that no other shall decide. Reftexively, I abhor my- 
self; he admires himself; it pleases iteelf. Himself, herself, 
themselves are used in the nominative case as well as in 
the objective. When the elements are separated by an 
adjective, self becomes a mere noun : as, my own self, our 
two selves, his very self; so one's self for oneself. See III. 
Now chese yourselven whether that you liketh. 
Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Tale, 1. 371. 
Jesus AimseJ/baptized not, but his disciples. John iv. 2. 
III. .; pi. selves (selvz). 1. A person in his 
relations to that very same person. Self differs 
from ego as being always relative to a particular indi- 
vidual, and as referring to that person in all his relations 
to himself and not merely as given in consciousness. 
So they loved, as love in twain 
Had the essence but in one ; 
Two distincts, division none ; . . . 
Property [individuality] was thus appalled, 
That the self was not the same. 
Single nature's double name 
Neither two nor one was called. 
Shak., Phoenix and Turtle, 1. 38. 
Self is that conscious thinking thing . . . which is sen- 
sible or conscious of pleasure and pain, capable of hap- 
piness or misery. 
Locke, Human Understanding, II. xxvii. 17. 
The best way of separating a man's self from the world 
is to give up the desire of being known to it. 
Steele, Spectator, No. 264. 
The consciousness of Self involves a stream of thought, 
each part of which as 'I' can (1) remember those which 
went before, and know the things they knew ; and (2) em- 
phasize and care paramountly for certain ones among them 
as ' me,' and appropriate to these the rest. 
W. James, Prin. of Psychology, I. 400. 
2. A thing or class of things, or an attribute or 
other abstraction, considered as precisely dis- 
tinguished from all others: as, the separation 
of church and state is urged in the interest of 
religion's self. 
Nectar's self grows loathsome to them. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 355. 
5475 
3. Personal interest and benefit; one's own 
private advantage. 
The circle of his views might be more or less expanded, 
but self was the steady, unchangeable centre. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 24. 
Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords 
with might ; 
Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, pass'd in music 
out of sight. Tennyson, Locksley Uall. 
4. In hort., a flower with its natural plain col- 
or; a self-colored flower, as distinguished from 
one which has become "rectified" or varie- 
gated. Compare self-colored. (Self is the first ele- 
ment in numerous compounds, nearly all modern. It 
may be used with any noun having an associated verb, or 
with any participial adjective (in -ing'* or -cd* or -erai), or 
other adjective implying action. It indicates either the 
agent or the object of the action expressed by the word 
with which it is joined, or the person on behalf of whom 
it is performed, or the person or thing to, for, or toward 
whom or which a quality, attribute, or feeling expressed 
by the following word belongs, is directed, or is exerted, 
or from which it proceeds ; or the subject of, or object 
affected by, such action, quality, attribute, feeling, and the 
like ; and the meaning is frequently negative, implying 
that the relation exists toward self only, not toward 
others : as, self-acting, etc. Most of these compounds are 
of obvious meaning ; only the more important of them are 
given below (without etymology, except when of early 
formation). In words compounded with self, the element 
come by emphasis greater than the latter.] By one's 
self. See &!/i. To be beside one's self. See beside. 
self-abandonment (self-a-ban'don-ment), n. 
Disregard of self or of self-interest. 
self-abasement (self-a-bas'ment), . 1. Abase- 
self-command 
One self-approving hour whole years outweighs 
Of stupid starers, and of loud huzzas. 
Pope, Essay on Man, iv. 255. 
self-asserting (self-a-ser'ting), a. Given to 
asserting one's opinions, rights, or claims; put- 
ting one's self forward in a confident or pre- 
sumptuous manner. 
self-assertion (self-a-ser'shon), . The act of 
asserting one's own bpi nions, rights, or claims ; 
a putting one's self forward in an over-confi- 
dent or presumptuous way. 
self-assertive (self-a-ser'tiv), a. Same as self- 
asserting. 
self-assertiveness (self-a-ser'tiv-nes), . The 
quality or character of asserting confidently 
or obtrusively one's opinions or claims; self- 
assertion. 
His own force of character and self-assertiveneas. 
nineteenth Century, XXI. 453. 
self-assumed (self-a-sumd'), a. Assumed by 
one's own act or authority : as, a self-assumed 
title. 
self-assumption (self-a-sump'shon), n. Self- 
conceit. 
In self-assumption greater 
Than in the note of judgement. 
Shak., T. and C., it. 3. 133. 
self-baptizer (self -bap -ti'zer), re. One who 
performs the act of baptism upon himself; a 
Se-Baptist. 
self-begotten (self-be-got'n), a. Begotten 
by one's own powers; generated without the 
agency of another. 
shame, or consciousness of unworthiness. 
Degradation of one's self by one's own act. 
Enough no foreign foe could quell 
Thy soul, till from itself it fell; 
Yes ! Self-abasement paved the way 
To villain-bonds and despot sway. 
Byron, The Giaour. 
self-absorbed (self-ab-sorbd' ), a. Absorbed in 
one's own thoughts or pursuits. 
He was a dreamy, silent youth, an omnivorous reader, 
retiring and self-absorbed. Athenseum, No. 3276, p. 184. 
self-abuse (self-a-bus'), re. 1. The abuse of 
one's own person or powers. 
My strange and self-abuse 
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use. 
Shak., Macbeth, iii. 4. 142. 
2. Masturbation. 
self-accusation (self-ak-u-za'shon), re. The act 
of accusing one's self. 
He asked, with a smile, if she thought the self accusa- 
tion should come from him. Scribner's Mag., VIII. 346. 
self-accusatory (self-a-ku'za-to-ri), a. Self- 
accusing. 
He became sensible of confused noises in the air ; in- 
coherent sounds of lamentation and regret ; waitings in- 
expressibly sorrowful and self-accusatory. 
Dickens, Christmas Carol, i. 
self-accusing (self'a-ku"zing), a. Accusing 
one's self. 
Then held she her tongue, and cast down a self-accusing 
look. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 
self-acting (self-ak'ting), a. Acting of or by 
itself: noting any automatic contrivance for 
superseding the manipulation which would 
otherwise 1 
machine: f 
In the Arabian woods. " " Milton, 8. A., 1. 1700. 
self-binder (self-bin'der), n. The automatic 
binding machinery attached to some harvesters 
or reapers, by means of which the grain as it is 
cut is collected into sheaves and bound up with 
wire or twine before it leaves the machine; 
also, a harvester fitted with machinery of this 
nature. 
self-blinded (self-blin'ded), a. Blinded or led 
astray by one's self. 
Self-blinded are you by your pride, 
Tennyson, Two Voices. 
self-bloodt (self-blud'), n. 1. Direct progeny 
or offspring. [Kare.] 
Though he had proper issue of his own, 
He would no less bring up, and foster these, 
Than that self-blood. 6. Jonson, Sejanus, ill. 1. 
2. The shedding of one's own blood; suicide. 
[Rare.] 
Do you know 
What 'tis to die thus? how you strike the stars 
And all good things above ? do you feel 
What follows a self-blood ? whither you venture, 
And to what punishment? 
Beau, and Fl., Thierry and Theodoret, iv. I. 
self-born (self-born'), a. Begotten or created 
by one's self or itself; self -begotten. 
From himself the phoenix only springs, 
Self-born. 
Dryden, tr. of Ovid's Metamorph., xv. 680. 
self-bountyt (self-boun'ti), re. Inherent kind- 
ness and benevolence. 
I would not have your free and noble nature, 
Out of self-bounty, be abused. 
self-bow (self'bo), re. See bow 2 . 
self-centered (self-sen'terd), a. Centered in 
by the gt 
self-activity (self-ak-tiv'i-ti), . An inherent 
or intrinsic power of acting or moving. 
If it can intrinsically stir itself, ... it must have a 
principle of self -activity, which is life and sense. Boyle. 
Self-activity may undoubtedly be explained as identical 
with self-conscious intelligence. 
J. Watson, Schelling's Transcendental Idealism, p. 200. 
self-adjusting (self-a-jus'ting), a. Designed 
or contrived to adjust itself; requiring no ex- 
ternal adjustment in the performance of a spe- 
cific operation or series of operations: as, a 
self-adjusting screw. 
This is an adjustable and self-adjusting machine. 
Set. Amer., N. S., LXII. 92. 
self-affected (self-a-fek'ted), a. Well-affected 
toward one's self; self -loving. 
His sail is swell'd too full ; he is grown too insolent, 
Too self-affected, proud. Fletcher, Loyal Subject, 1. 2. 
self-appointed (self-a-poin'ted), a. Appoint- 
ed or nominated by one's self. 
Leigh Hunt himself was, as Mr. Colvin has observed, a 
kind of self-appointed poet laureate of Hampstead. 
Athenaeum, No. 3277, p. 215. 
self-approving (self-a-pro'ving), a. Implying 
approval of one's own conduct or character; 
also, justifying such approval. 
Nor know I aught 
By me that 's said or done amiss this night ; 
Unless seV-charity be sometimes a vice. 
Shak., Othello, ii. 3. 202. 
self-closing (self-klo'zing), a. Closing of it- 
self; closing or shutting automatically: as, a 
self-closing bridge or door Self-closing faucet. 
See faucet. 
self-collected (self-ko-lek'ted), a. Self-pos- 
sessed; self-contained; confident; calm. 
Still in his stern and Sflf -collected mien 
A conqueror's more than captive's air is seen. 
Byron, Corsair, ii. 8. 
self-colored (self-kul'ord), . 1. In. textile fab- 
rics : (a) Of the natural color. (6) Dyed in the 
wool or in the thread ; retaining the color which 
it had before weaving: as, a self-colored fabric. 
2. Colored with a single tint, usually in the 
glaze, as Oriental porcelain. 3. In hort., hav- 
ing the natural seedling color unmodified by 
artificial selection; uniform in color: noting 
flowers. 
self-command (self-ko-mand'), M. That equa- 
nimity which enables one in any situation to be 
reasonable and prudent, and to do what the cir- 
cumstances require ; self-control. 
