Middle English Dictionary Entry
thī-self pron.
Entry Info
Forms | thī-self pron. Also thiselwen, (16th cent.) thiselvon & (early SWM) tiselhðe. |
Etymology | From thīn pron. & self adj., n., & pron.; also cp. OE phrases þīnes silfes, þīnre sylfre, etc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. the-self pron., thou-self pron.
1.
Emphatic sg. second person pron. used in appositive constructions: thyself, yourself: (a) as appositive to the subj. of a clause; ?also, for yourself [quot. c1450(?a1400)]; (b) as appositive to the unexpressed subj. of a verb in the impv. [could also be construed as sense 3.(a)].
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)824 : Þou seyst þi-sulf þis?
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)90/7 : Hou ssolde lesse guodes by worþ? Þis þi-zelf þe myȝt yzy be skele þet hyer beuore me heþ yzed.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1174 : For wel thow woost thy seluen [vr. þyn seluyn] verraily That thow and I be dampned to prisoun.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)876 : For-þi þat þou has don þe mis, þiself þou wite þi wa i-wis.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)25/18 : Þou hast brouȝt me..into þat same cloude of unknowyng þat I wolde þou were in þi-self.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)13/10 : What so euer þou weel dost, þou schalt repe þe þank þi silff.
- a1450(a1396) Hilton CPerf.(Paris angl.41)3/32 : Þerfore do þou þi-silf alle þe gode deedis wiþ-oute deuocioun, þe whiche þou didist bifore with deuocioun.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)511 : Y have sent þe my sonde as þou þeiself bade.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1759 : Þou sekis fraward Sichim þi-selfe wrothir-haile [Dub: with euell haille].
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)303/313 : Thou shall thiself fulfyll euer wo withoutten ende.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)2405 : Thou thy-selfe al holy Foryeten shalte so vtterly That..thou shalte be Styl as..tree.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2971 : Thou dissyret full depely, dame Elan, þi seluon To pas fro þi palis.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1120 : This instrument..Taak in thyn honde, and put thy self ther inne Of this quyk siluer an ounce.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1557 : Axe hym thy self if thow nat trowest me.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4604 : Lok þi seluen wit resun, Bath þi drems ar als an.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)1/7 : Today ȝif vs þiself, þat art oneliche, oure eche days brede.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)384/206 : Sette hym sore, þat is sone saide, But come þi selffe and serue hym soo.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)50/232 : Thank god in word and dede, Both þou þi self and ysaac þi sone.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)185 : Sithen we wot not qwo þou art, witere vs þiselwen.
2.
Emphatic sg. second person pron. having the same referent as the subj.: thyself, yourself: (a) as reflexive obj. of a verb, an inf., or a ppl.;—sometimes with obj. compl. following; also in as constructions [quots. 1340 & a1425]; (b) as obj. of a prep.; for ~, for thy sake; oute of ~, mad, insane [quot. a1300]; also, beyond your bodily existence [quot. 1340].
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)11/97 : Sei me hwi þu forsakest þi sy & ti selhðe.
- a1300 Ancr.(Cai 234/120)2/13 : Þu dest me freme & hermest þi seluen.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(LdMisc 108)339 : Next me þou scholdest in Ioye beo..Ȝif þou woldest beon a martyr and þi-seolf [Corp-C: þisulue] martri for mi loue.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)900 : Now þou hast þiseluen yschent Þat hast mannes flesche yknawe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)145/30 : Loue þine nixte ase þi-zelue.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2356 : Swiþe save þiself, for so is þe best.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))John 10.33 : Thou..makist thi silf [L teipsum] God.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1385 : If thow louest thy self [vr. thyn self], thow louest thy wyf.
- a1400 Comp.Our Lady (Pep 2498)103/3 : Þou þat may fellen þe temple of God & þe þridde day areren it, deliuer now þiseluen.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)8/14 : First sal ye luue god wid al yure herte..And ti prome als ti-self.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)348/29 : Þou also blasfemest wiþ it, berynge fals witnes wiþ dislauye wordis, puttinge þisilf in perel & oþir.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)231/25 : Qwy makeþ þou þan þi-self egall with oþur?
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)122/8,9 : Knowe thi-selfe, for thou art better..if thou knowe thyn-selfe than if thou knewe the curses of sterres or planetes.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)2/10 : In hert hold þiself most vile, most abiecte, and most synner and also most wrecch of alle.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1122/12 : Thou shamyst all knyghthode and thyselffe and me.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)300/1 : Remembre thy-self and doo thy diligent laboure to haue good fame.
- a1500 Hisp.SSecr.(Rwl C.83)3/8,9 : If thou wilt..rule thi selfe aftir the doctrine..in this booke..thou shalt kepe thy selfe in helth.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)4/13 : If þou se eny man synne openly..þou owist not to deme þiself better.
b
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)123/34 : Þenc hwat tu hauest of ði sulf: þu ert of two dolen, of licame & of soule.
- a1300 Ancr.(Cai 234/120)81/3 : Art tu þat swa seist ut of þi seoluen [Nero: þine witte]?
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)579 : Biþenk þe þanne swiþe wel Þat of þi-self haddestu noht.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)73/1 : Yef þou wylt ywyte huet is guod and huet is kuead, guo out of þi zelue, guo out of þe wordle, lierne to sterue; todel þine zaule uram þe bodye.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Dan.9.18 : For thi self thou, my God, bowe thin eere.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1053 : Make nat thyn herte bitter or angry or anoyed of thy self.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.217-18 : 'I am sory for my synne,' sey to þiseluen, And beet þiself on þe brest.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)190/13 : Þou maist fynde verry mekenesse, holy hate, and displesaunce of þisilf.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1065 : Euery man sette at a thost, And of þiself make gret ros.
- a1475(c1450) Shirley SSecr.(Add 5467)273/12 : Graunte the such grace..that by thy self thou may conceyve and vnderstond all that at thou desirest and askest forto witte and knowe.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)77/18 : Þerfore þou owist to ascriue to þiself no maner of good.
3.
Emphatic sg. second person pron. used independently: (a) as subj., or part of the subj., of a clause: thou thyself, you yourself, you; also used as pred. nom., as appositive to subj. [quot. a1500(1413)], and in than constructions; (b) as direct obj., or part of the direct obj., of a verb: thyself, yourself, you;—also in impers. construction [1st quot.]; leiken ~, to amuse yourself (with sth.); (c) as obj. of a prep.: thyself, yourself, you.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)18/151 : Nulli þe na mare uuel þen þi seolf waldest.
- ?c1250 PMor.(Eg 613(1))29 : Ne beo þe leure þan þi self þi mei ne þi moȝe.
- a1300 Ancr.(Cai 234/120)2/21 : Þat word..ne ne wundet þi flechs..þach hi puffe uppen þe, bute þi seolf hit makie.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2124 : Alle þe men upon mold no schuld make it oþer, þat I nold brenne þi borwes..and sece never til þiself were chamly destruyed.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Tob.9.4 : Þiselue [WB(2): thou] wost þat my fader noumbreþ þe daiys.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9568 : Þi doghter am i Als þi-self wat witerli.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)508 : Þe goshauk of whom þe þouȝth Js þi-self, wery of-fouȝth.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)43/18 : And so þiself and alle þat God made..schal fiȝte aȝenns þe at þe Dai of Dome.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.852 : Sith hire whiel by no way may sojourne, What woostow if hire mutabilite Right as thyselven list wol don by the?
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)195/25 : Þi-selfe arte þe werkman.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)93/344 : Joseph, þi selph art old of Age.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.lvii/202 : My febill gost it helpith to support, That is, thi selfe, moder, maide and wiffe, The sustenaunce and solace of my liffe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)44/130 : Luke thou be bowne; ffor certan, son, thi self and I, we two must now weynd furth of towne, In far country to sacrifie.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11982 : Thou hase..done hym to dethe dolefully now, Þat thy-selfe shuld haue socourd hade þou ben sad tru.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)8.51 : God wole suffre wel þi sleuthe, ȝif þi-self lyketh.
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1717 : Þe red dragoun so foul of syȝt Bytokenyþ þyseolue and þy myȝt.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)328 : Noȝt as a prophet ne a prest I prays sall þi selfe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1770 : Se quat I send to þe [alt. from: þi], son, þi-selfe with to laike, A hatt & a hand-ball & a herne-panne.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)847 : Alle þi children sle we shal And manye of þi kingdom wiþal, And þi self also, soth to seie.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2881 : The dissensioun bigynneth by another man and the reconsilyng bigynneth by thy self.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3105 : Ȝyf þou euer vndyrstode Þat þy wyt..Come of þy self, and nat of god, Hyt ys grete pryde.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)1.24 : Þat on is vesture fro chele þe to saue, Þat oþer is mete at meel for myseise at þiselue.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)93/25 : Stretche no snaris for to take men wiþ-all..for at þe laste ende it wil turne vppon þi-self.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)5/24 : Þi losse & þin harme of þiself ariseþ, but þi hele & þi socour ariseþ of me.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)324/16 : Sir, Thy seruaunt will be egall to Thy-self.