different between eachother vs themselves

English

Etymology

From Middle English ech other, yche othere, ich othir, eche other, ilk oþer, from Old English ?l? ?þer (“each other”), equivalent to each +? other. More at each other.

Pronoun

eachother

1. (nonstandard) Alternative spelling of each other
   • 1826, G. H. C. Egestorff (translator), Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (author), Klopstock's Messiah (Der Messias), canto XIV, lines 94–6, page 427:

     The pilgrims to the heavenly Salem, who / By nature for eachother were design’d, / In this life oft are near, yet do not meet.

   • 1921 April, Charles Johnston, "Tao-Teh-King: An Interpretation of Lao Tse's Book of the Way and of Righteousness", part I (of VIII), in The Theosophical Quarterly, volume XVIII, The Theosophical Society, page 347:

     Lao Tse is seeking to make clear the relation of the unmanifested and the manifested Logos to eachother, as poles of the same Being.

   • 2006, Karunkar Nair, Pebbles in the Sand, Lulu.com, ?ISBN, page 44:

     Our last night together! […] How are we going to cope with the absence of eachother?

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ð?m?s?lvz/, /ð?m?s?lvz/
• Hyphenation: them?selves

Pronoun

themselves (personal pronoun)

1. The reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun. The group of people, animals, or objects previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).

   (reflexively):

   (after a preposition):

   (for emphasis):
2. The reflexive case of they, the third-person singular personal pronoun. The single person previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).

   (reflexively):

   (after a preposition):

   (for emphasis):

   • 1611, King James Bible, Philippians 2.3:

     Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:themselves.

Usage notes

• Regarding the use of singular themselves (as opposed to themself or e.g. himself), see the usage notes about they, themself, and he, respectively.

Synonyms

• theirselves (nonstandard)
• (singular): themself (non-gender-specific), theirself (non-gender-specific, but nonstandard), himself, herself (gender-specific)

Translations

See also