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What’s the Plural of Self?

The plural of self is selves. Like most nouns that come from German and are sibilants, self takes on -ves as a pl. n. form.



What’s the plural of “self”?

The plural of self is selves.

What’s the singular of self?

Self is a singular noun. Selves is plural.

What does “self” mean?

The dictionary defines the word self as:

A person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality: one’s own self.

Nouns that end in -f/-fe and -ves

Each of these nouns converts the same as self does from the singular to the plural:


singularplural
knife knives
life lives
wifewives
shelf shelves
self selves
half halves
wolfwolves
Latin nouns ending in -f/-fe and –ves. Chart by Grammarflex.

Examples of the word “self” in sentences

1. The face is the true self visible to others.

2. I want to explore and get in touch with my inner self.

3. I’ll do it by myself.

4. His better self.

5. You’re looking more like your usual self.

Examples of selves used in application

1. They say either that there is no divine self or that there are more divine selves than one.

2. Our inner selves are always barricaded behind codes of language.

3. Put your pathetic selves out of misery and end the charade already.

4. The past selves are indifferent or undecided between the outcomes available to the present self.

5. They have no thought of selves.

Origin of self  

From etymology online on self (n.):  

Old English self, sylf (West Saxon),  seolf (Anglian), “one’s own person, -self; own, personal; same, identical,” from Proto-Germanic *selbaz.

What’re personal pronouns?

What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?

Whose vs who’s?

Sources  

  1. Definition of self.
  2. Sentences using self.
  3. Origin of self.


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