An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/selb

by Friedrich Kluge

selb, selber, selbst, pron., ‘self-same, self, himself,’ &c., from MidHG. sëlp (b), OHG. sëlb, pron., ‘self, himself,’ &c.; comp. OSax. self, Du. zelf, AS. sylf, OIc. sjalfr, Goth. silba, ‘self, himself,’ &c. A pron. peculiar to Teut., which signified lit. perhaps ‘master, possessor’ (thus Sans. patis, ‘master,’ is similar to Lith. pats, ‘self’). Comp. OIr. selb, f., ‘possession’?.