Advertisement

Origin and history of self-conscious

self-conscious(adj.)

1680s, "aware of one's action or oneself," a word of the English Enlightenment (Locke was using it by 1690, along with self-consciousness "state of being aware of oneself, consciousness of one's own identity"), from self- + conscious. The morbid sense of "preoccupied with one's own personality, conscious of oneself as an object of observation to others" is attested by 1834 (J.S. Mill). Related: Self-consciously.

also from 1680s

Entries linking to self-conscious

conscious(adj.)

c. 1600, "knowing, privy to" (poetic), from Latin conscius "knowing, aware," from conscire "be (mutually) aware," from assimilated form of com "with," or "thoroughly" (see con-) + scire "to know" (see science). The Latin word probably is a loan-translation of Greek syneidos.

The sense of "knowing or perceiving within oneself, sensible inwardly, aware" is from 1630s, perhaps a shortening of conscious to oneself (1620s). Also compare the Latin sense evolution in conscience. From 1650s as "aware (of a fact)." Sense of "active and awake, endowed with active mental faculties" is from 1837. Related: Consciously.

unselfconscious(adj.)

1866, from un- (1) "not" + self-conscious. Related: Unselfconsciously.

self-

word forming element indicating "oneself," also "automatic," from Old English use of self (pron.) in compounds, such as selfbana "suicide," selflice "self-love, pride, vanity, egotism," selfwill "free will." Middle English had self-witte "one's own knowledge and intelligence" (early 15c.).

OED counts 13 such compounds in Old English. Middle English Compendium lists four, counting the self-will group as a whole. It re-emerges as a living word-forming element mid-16c., "probably to a great extent by imitation or reminiscence of Greek compounds in (auto-)," and formed a great many words in the pamphlet disputes of the 17c.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    personal
    late 14c., "private, pertaining to the self or to a self-conscious individual; performed by the individual himself," from...
    apperception
    1753, "self-consciousness," from French aperception (17c.), from Latin apperceptionem, from ad "to" (see ad-) + perceptionem...The meaning "act of the mind by which it becomes conscious of its ideas as its own (1876) is from German Apperzeption, coined...
    personality
    Sense of "a distinctive essential character of a self-conscious being" is recorded by 1795, from French personnalité....the most successful adaptation to the universal conditions of existence, coupled with the greatest possible freedom of self-determination...
    automatic
    "self-acting, moving or acting on its own," 1812 (automatical is from 1580s; automatous from 1640s), from Greek automatos...of persons "acting of one's own will;" of things "self-moving, self-acting," used of the gates of Olympus and the tripods...of Hephaestus (also "without apparent cause, by accident"), from autos "self" (see auto-) + matos "thinking, animated" (...The meaning "done by self-acting machinery" is by 1850....
    autarky
    1610s, "self-sufficiency," from Greek autarkeia "sufficiency in oneself, independence," from autarkēs "self-sufficient, having...enough, independent of others" (also used of countries), from autos "self" (see auto-) + arkein "to ward off, keep off,"...
    independence
    1630s, "fact of not depending on others or another, self-support and self-government;" see independent + -ence....An Old English word for it was selfdom, with self + dom "law," but in form this is closer to privilege (n.)....
    appreciate
    The meaning "to rise in value" (intransitive) is by 1787; the sense of "be fully conscious of" is by 1833....
    sanctuary
    early 14c., seintuarie, sentwary, etc., "consecrated place, building set apart for holy worship; holy or sacred object," from Anglo-French sentuarie, Old French saintuaire "sacred relic, holy thing; reliquary, sanctuary," from Late Latin sanctuarium "a sacred place, shrine" (espe
    cause
    c. 1200, "reason or motive for a decision, grounds for action; motive," from Old French cause "cause, reason; lawsuit, case in law" (12c.), and directly from Latin causa "a cause; a reason; interest; judicial process, lawsuit," which is of unknown origin. From mid-14c. as "cause
    irony
    "figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning" (usually covert sarcasm under a serious or friendly pretense), c. 1500, from Latin ironia, from Greek eironeia "dissimulation, assumed ignorance," from eiron "dissembler," perhaps related to e

    Share self-conscious

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near self-conscious
    Advertisement