Ourselves

Part of speech: pronoun

Pronunciation: /aʊəˈsɛlvz/

Definitions

1. A pronoun referring to the group including the speaker, used as the object of a verb or preposition or for emphasis
2. A pronoun that signifies the speaker and their group, used as an object in a sentence or for emphasis in expressions of self-reference
3. A reflexive pronoun denoting the speaker and their companions, used as an object of an action or for highlighting identity in discussions

Etymology: "Ourselves" is built from "our" and "-selves," the plural of "self." The "self" element, which goes back to Old English "self," originally meant "same" or "very," and it was used to emphasise a noun or pronoun, as in "the king himself." Attached to the possessive "our," it creates a reflexive or emphatic pronoun for the speaker together with others. The pattern is older than the English pronouns it resembles. Forms like "myself," "yourself," and "himself" follow the same logic, and "ourselves" is the first-person plural member of that set. The plural "selves" appears here because the pronoun refers to more than one person, while "self" stays singular in "myself" and "himself." Its meaning comes straight from the parts: "our" points to the speaker's group, and "selves" marks the reflexive or emphatic use.