itself
itself
Pronunciation
The word itself is a reflexive pronoun used to refer back to a previously mentioned inanimate object, animal, or abstract concept.
Phonetic Breakdown
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) spelling for itself is: /ɪtˈsɛlf/
First Syllable (/ɪt/):
/ɪ/: A short "i" sound, as in sit.
/t/: A voiceless alveolar plosive.
Second Syllable (/ˈsɛlf/):
/ˈ/ : This mark indicates that the following syllable carries the primary stress.
/s/: A voiceless alveolar sibilant.
/ɛ/: A short "e" sound, as in met.
/l/: An alveolar lateral approximant.
/f/: A voiceless labiodental fricative.
Word Form Variations
As a reflexive pronoun, "itself" has limited morphological variation:
Singular: itself
Plural: themselves (Note: When the subjects are plural, the reflexive form changes to the plural third-person reflexive).
Gender/Animacy Variations: himself (masculine), herself (feminine), oneself (neutral/generic).
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Pronoun
Definition 1 (Reflexive): Used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer back to the same non-human entity that is the subject of the clause.
Synonyms: It (in specific contexts).
Antonyms: Another, something else.
Definition 2 (Emphatic): Used to add emphasis to a specific noun or pronoun to distinguish it from others or to highlight its importance.
Synonyms: Personally, essentially, in its own right.
Antonyms: None (this is a functional grammatical marker).
Definition 3 (Automaticity): Used to describe an action or state that occurs without outside interference or assistance.
Synonyms: Automatically, spontaneously, unaided.
Antonyms: Externally, manually.
Examples of Use
Literature and Books
"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." (John Milton, Paradise Lost)
"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must float with it. It itself is the path." (Frank Herbert, Dune)
Journalism and Newspapers
"The committee argued that the policy change was not just a matter of logistics, but a fundamental shift in how the institution views itself in a globalized economy." (The New York Times)
"Local officials noted that the structural damage to the bridge was so severe that the concrete had begun to crumble under the weight of the structure itself." (The Guardian)
Online Publications and Digital Media
"When evaluating a new smartphone, the software ecosystem is often just as important as the hardware itself." (The Verge)
"The beauty of the open-source movement lies in the code itself, which allows developers from around the world to collaborate and improve upon existing frameworks without centralized control." (Wired)
Entertainment and Popular Culture
"History itself is being written as we speak, and we are the ones holding the pen." (Dialogue from The Crown)
"The power is not in the ring, but in the desire for the ring itself." (Thematic commentary on The Lord of the Rings)
General Public Discourse and Speeches
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at 그 goal. It must be found within the process itself." (Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
"The technology is neutral; it is the way we choose to apply it that determines whether it is a benefit or a threat to society itself." (Commonly cited in academic lectures on Ethics in Technology)
10 Quotes Using Itself
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." (John Dewey)
"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." (John Milton, Paradise Lost)
"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce." (Karl Marx)
"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" (Audrey Hepburn)
"Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror." (Kahlil Gibran)
"Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home." (Matsuo Bashō)
"Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself." (Plato)
"The giving of love is an education in itself." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"No man is an island, entire of itself." (John Donne)
Etymology
The word itself is a compound that traces its roots back to Old English, the earliest form of the English language. Its evolution is a story of two separate words—a pronoun and an adjective—merging over centuries to create a single reflexive tool.
The Original Components
"It" (Old English hit): In Old English, hit was the neuter third-person singular pronoun.
"Self" (Old English self or sylf): Originally, this wasn't part of a pronoun; it was an independent adjective meaning "same," "identical," or "one's own person." In early Germanic languages, you would use it to emphasize a subject, much like saying "The King same" to mean "The King himself."
First Known Use and Meaning
The earliest known use of the components together (as hit sylf) dates back to before the 12th century (the Old English period).
In its earliest form, the two words were often written separately. The meaning was essentially the same as it is today: it served as an "intensifier" to point directly back at a non-human subject. For example, instead of just saying "the fire burned," a speaker would use the equivalent of "the fire itself burned" to clarify that nothing else caused the flame.
The Path to "Itself"
As English moved into the Middle English period (roughly 1150–1500), the "h" in hit was dropped in unstressed positions, turning the word into the modern "it." By the late 14th century, the two words began to be consistently viewed and written as a single compound: itself. Interestingly, in the 1600s, some people briefly began to treat it as "its self" (two words again), viewing "self" as a noun belonging to "it." However, the single-word compound eventually won out, becoming the standard form we use today to reflect an action back onto an object or to emphasize its unique identity.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Itself
Here is a list of common phrases and idioms that utilize itself or its synonyms to convey reflexive and emphatic meanings.
Common Phrases and Idioms
In and of itself: Used to emphasize that something is being considered alone, separate from other factors or its surroundings.
Speak for itself: Used when the facts or evidence are so clear that they do not require further explanation or defense.
A law unto itself: Refers to a person or thing that ignores standard rules or conventions, behaving in a unique or unpredictable way.
History repeats itself: The idea that similar events or patterns of behavior will recur over time.
In a league of its own: (Synonym-based idiom) Used to describe something so superior that nothing else can be compared to it.
By itself: Doing something alone, without help, or something existing in isolation.
Keep to itself: Frequently used to describe an animal or entity that stays away from others or remains secluded.
Full of itself: (Synonym-based idiom) Often used to describe a person or entity that is excessively proud or arrogant.
The thing itself: A philosophical or rhetorical phrase used to distinguish a physical reality from the ideas or descriptions surrounding it.
Of its own accord: (Synonym-based idiom) Used when something happens spontaneously or without any external force or prompting.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of itself from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
