himself

A2 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled enself and hisself

US /hɪmˈsɛlf/ See IPA manual

pron Freq #574

Meanings

1

pron
Used when the man or boy doing an action is also affected by it.

He injured himself while playing football.
2

pron
Used to emphasise that a particular man or boy, and no one else, did something.

The president himself answered the letter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

hisselfhissen

Word family

Forms hisselnisself

Related forms he herherselfhersenhershernhimhimselfhisselfhissenhishishisnimeithititselfhitselfitshis

Etymology

From Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum. Equivalent to him + -self.

hymself Middle English him selfum Old English

View etymology graph ->

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Grammar & Function Words

# himself

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** pron
**IPA (US):** hɪmˈsɛlf
**Frequency rank:** 574

## Meanings
1. Used when the man or boy doing an action is also affected by it.
2. Used to emphasise that a particular man or boy, and no one else, did something.

## Examples
- He injured himself while playing football.
- The president himself answered the letter.

## Synonyms
- hisself
- hissen

## Related Forms
- he
- her
- herselfhersen
- hershern
- him
- himselfhisselfhissen
- his
- hishisn
- ime
- ithit
- itselfhitself
- itshis

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hymself
- Root: him selfum

## Etymology
From Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum. Equivalent to him + -self.

## AI Etymology
Himself comes from Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum. Equivalent to him + -self. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern modern form is built from the named base and affix. In current use, the main senses are “Used when the man or boy doing an action is also affected by it” and “Used to emphasise that a particular man or boy, and no one else, did something”.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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himself

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