different between myselves vs myself

English

Etymology

my +? selves, modelled on myself.

Pronoun

myselves

1. (reflexive, nonstandard) me; used to indicate the speaker as an entity with more than one self.
   • 1954, Frank O'Hara, To Grace Hartigan

     So many pistols I have borrowed to protect myselves from creatures who too readily recognize my weapons and have murder in their heart!

   • 1972, Robert Silverberg, {Now + n, Now - n}

     I can't communicate with myselves. I lost millions in the last couple of weeks, playing the market the regular way.

English

Alternative forms

• meself (non-standard)
• myselfe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English myself, meself, me-self, me sylf, from Old English m? self, m? seolf (“myself”), equivalent to me (pronoun) + self (pronoun), later partly reinterpreted as my + self (noun), my +? -self. Compare Scots mysel, mysell (“myself”), West Frisian mysels (“myself”), Dutch mijzelf (“myself”), Norwegian Bokmål meg selv (“myself”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ma??s?lf/
• Rhymes: -?lf
• Hyphenation: my?self

Pronoun

myself (reflexive case of I)

1. (reflexive) Me, as direct or indirect object the speaker as the object of a verb or preposition, when the speaker is also the subject. [from 9th c.]
2. Personally, for my part; used in apposition to I, sometimes for simple emphasis and sometimes with implicit exclusion of any others performing the activity described. [from 10th c.]
3. In my normal state of body or mind.
4. Me (as the object of a verb or preposition). [from 10th c.]

   I feel like myself.

5. (archaic) I (as the subject of a verb). [from 14th c.]
   • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged:

     Myself am confident that an ointment of it is one of the best remedies for a scabby head that is.

6. (India, Pakistan, nonstandard) my name is...

Usage notes

• Use where I could be used is mostly poetic or archaic, except with a coordinating conjunction, such as and.
• Garner's Modern American Usage (2009) reports opposition to the intensifier use, especially where I could be used.
• AP Stylebook Online (2010) reports opposition to the intensifier use as reflexive pronouns (like myself) should not be used instead of objective pronouns (like me).

Synonyms

• (reflexive pronoun): me

Related terms

• myselves

Translations

See also

Middle English

Alternative forms

• myselve

Etymology

From Old English m? self, m? seolf, equivalent to my +? self.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi?s?lf/

Pronoun

myself

1. myself

Descendants

• English: myself
• Yola: meezil

References

• “m?-self, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.