Unself

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Free from selfishness, showing concern for others rather than one's own advantage
2. Not driven by personal gain, generous and considerate toward the needs of other people
3. Putting the welfare of others ahead of one's own interests, altruistic in spirit and action

Etymology: "Unself" is a verb meaning to put others first, and its history is almost entirely a matter of plain construction. It is formed from the prefix "un-" joined to the noun "self," producing a word whose sense is the reverse of self-interest. Because the parts are so transparent, there is no hidden Latin or Greek root to uncover, and the meaning follows directly from the two halves: to set aside one's own self in favour of someone else. The verb pattern, turning a noun into an action, is a common English habit, so the word belongs to a family of coinages built the same way. Its notable feature is the prefix. "Un-" usually reverses or removes something, as in "untie" or "unmask," and here it works on "self" to mean the removal of the self from the centre of one's concerns rather than a literal undoing of anything.