OpenEtymology

yourselves

UKjɔːˈsɛlvzUSjərˈsɛlvz

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Meaning

1pron

used as the object of a verb or preposition when the people being addressed are both the subject and the object of the action.

2pron

used to emphasize the people being addressed.

Structure

word structure
1
your
+
2
selves

Usage

you should all be proud of yourselves for completing the project.

did you build this garden yourselves?

you yourselves must decide what is best.

Etymology

The word 'yourselves' is a compound pronoun formed within English from the possessive 'your' and the plural reflexive 'selves'. 'your' originates from the Old English 'ēower', the genitive plural form of 'gē' (you), which has Germanic roots. 'self' comes from Old English 'self', 'seolf', meaning 'one's own person', also of Germanic origin. The combination into 'yourselves' as a reflexive and emphatic pronoun for the second person plural emerged in Middle English, solidifying a distinct form to refer back to the plural 'you' for clarity and emphasis in both object and intensive functions.

Analysis

Structure
your + selves=your+selves

your: (old english, germanic) possessive determiner form of 'you'. selves: (old english, germanic) plural form of 'self', meaning one's own person.

Yourselves Meaning & Word Parts (your + selves) | OpenEtymology