Thyself

pron. Forms: 1 þe sylf, 1–4 þe self, 3–4 þi self, sulf, silf, 4 þi selue, zelue, self(e (þei-self), 4–5 thiselfe, 5 (thiselph), þy self(e, selffe, 5–7 thy self, thy selfe, 6 thyselfe, (9 dial. theeself), 5– thyself. β. (orig. oblique cases) 1 þe sylfne, sylfum, 3–4 þe selven, 4–5 þi seluen, 5 the seluen, -in, -un, 6 Sc. thy seluyn, selfin. [In OE. þé ‘thee’ followed by the adj. self; the latter either in concord with þé (dat. þé selfum, acc. þe(c) selfne), or, in the constr. þú þé self, in concord with þú (þé being dative or instrumental): see SELF 4, and cf. MYSELF. From 13th c., þi, þy, thy, poss. adj., took the place of the pers. pron. thee; self being treated as a sb.]

  As to restriction of use see note to THOU; cf. YOURSELF.

  I.  Emphatic uses: = Very thou, very thee.

  1.  Accompanying the subject-pronoun thou (or, after a verb in the imperative, without thou).

  In mod. Eng. in thou thyself, thyself is grammatically in apposition to thou.

a. 800.  Cynewulf, Crist, 114. Þæt þu þa beorhtan us sunnan onsende, ond þe sylf cyme.

a. 800.  Cædmon’s Gen., 608. Þu menht nu þe self ʓescon.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 4604 (Cott.). Lok þi seluen wit resun [G. þi selue, F. þi-self]. Ibid., 5429. Heit me truli þat þou þe seluen [G. þu þi selue, F. þou þi-self] Sal me wit mine foreldres deluen.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 511. Y haue sent þe my sonde as þou þei-self bade.

c. 1420.  Sir Amadace (Camden), xlix. As thou thi seluun hase.

1535.  Coverdale, 1 Kings xx. 40. It is thine owne iudgment, thou hast geuen it thyselfe.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. v. 111. Then get thee gone, and digge my graue thy selfe.

1611.  Bible, Luke vi. 42. When thou thy selfe beholdest not the beame that is in thine owne eye.

1759.  Johnson, Rasselas, xii. Thou art thyself weary of the valley.

1864.  R. F. Littledale, Hymn, ‘O Fire of God, the Comforter,’ ad fin. All praise to Thee … Who art Thyself all praise.

  2.  By ellipsis of thou, used as simple subject (with verb usually in 2nd person; occasionally in 3rd, self being treated as a sb.).

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 9568 (Cott.). ‘Fader,’ sco said, ‘þi doghter am i, Als þi-self wat witerli.’ Ibid. (c. 1375), 896 (Trin.). Þi seluen is to wite I wis.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 11982. Þat thyselfe shuld haue socourd.

c. 1475.  Songs & Carols, xxxii. 23. Man, I am thy frend ay; Thy self art thy foo.

1515.  Barclay, Egloges, iv. (1570), C iv/2. Why is not thy selfe contented with thy part?

1611.  Bible, 1 Kings xx. 40. So shall thy iudgement bee, thy selfe hast discided it.

1693.  Dryden, Juvenal, X. 558.

1742.  Wesley, Hymn, ‘Come, O thou traveller unknown,’ ii. Thyself hast called me by my name.

1866.  J. B. Rose, trans. Ovid’s Met., 83. The phantom thou behold’st thyself hath made.

  b.  Used as predicate, or after as or than.

1535.  Coverdale, Ps. xlix. [l.] 21. Thou … thinkest me to be euen soch one as thy self.

1590.  Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 76. Thou art Dromio, thou art my man, thou art thy selfe. Ibid. (1593), Merry W., III. iv. 3. Thou must be thy selfe.

1611.  Bible, 2 Chron. xxi. 13. Thou … hast slaine thy brethren … which were better then thy selfe.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 468. What there thou seest fair Creature is thy self.

1880.  G. Macdonald, Diary Old Soul, Aug., 8, It is thyself, and neither this nor that … told, taught, or dreamed of thee.

  3.  Used instead of thee as object of a verb or preposition.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 328. Noȝt as a prophet ne a prest I prays sall þi selfe.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 7920. I am euyn fayn or þe sight of þi Self.

1610.  Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 68. He, whom next thy selfe Of all the world I lou’d.

1671.  Milton, Samson, 789. If severely thou exact not More strength from me, then in thy self was found.

1857.  G. B. Bubier, Hymn, My God, I love Thee for Thyself.

  II.  Reflexive uses.

  4.  As direct or indirect object of a verb, or in dependence on a preposition. (Orig. only emphatic refl.; later in general use, taking the place of thee reflexive, which is more decidedly archaic: see THEE pron. 2.)

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xix. 19. Lufiʓe þa nehstum ðinum swa þæc seolfne [Lindisf. ðec seolfne; Ags. Gosp. þe sylfne].

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 276. Þenc hwat tu hauest of þi sulf.

13[?].  Cursor M., 12804 (Cott.). O þe-self [other texts þi-self] quat wil þou sai?

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 131. For to loue þi louerd leuere þen þi-seluen.

1382.  Wyclif, John i. 22. What seist thou of thi silf?

1490.  Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. 64. Wylt enhabyte thiselfe in a strange contrey?

1535.  Coverdale, Isa. lxiii. 14. To make thy self a glorious name.

1616.  R. C., Times’ Whistle, III. 1120. Learn Solons saying, ‘Mortall know thy selfe.’

1741.  Richardson, Pamela, II. 227. Well, Child,… how dost find thyself?

1819.  Shelley, Cenci, IV. iv. 40. Be faithful to thyself.

1825.  J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, II. 158. Take and read it for theeself.

1841.  Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 92. Thou assertest thyself to be the son of the King.

1847.  Tennyson, Princess, VII. 343. Yield thyself up.