How Do You Spell OURSELF?

Pronunciation: [a͡ʊ͡əsˈɛlf] (IPA)

The word "ourself" is not a correct spelling; the correct word is "ourselves." The correct spelling features the suffix "-selves," which is used to refer to a group of people. In IPA phonetic transcription, the correct pronunciation of "ourselves" is /aʊərˈsɛlvz/. The first syllable "our" is pronounced as "ow," the second syllable "selves" is pronounced as "selves." The word "ourself" is considered a grammatical error and should be avoided in writing and speaking.

OURSELF Meaning and Definition

1. Ourself is a reflexive pronoun that is used as the reflexive form of the pronoun "we." It is most commonly employed to refer to the collective identity or the inclusive nature of a group of individuals, emphasizing the unity or the shared characteristics of the group as a whole. "Ourself" is used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same group of people.

   The use of "ourself" is most often found in formal or archaic contexts, such as legal or royal statements, poetic or literary works, or religious texts. It conveys a sense of unity and solidarity among the members of the group referred to as "we" or "our," reinforcing the idea that the actions or qualities described apply to the collective identity rather than each individual separately.

   In modern English, "ourselves" is the more commonly used reflexive pronoun to refer to a group of people. However, "ourself" is still occasionally used for stylistic or poetic purposes. Using "ourself" instead of "ourselves" can create a more formal or antiquated tone in writing or speech.

   Overall, "ourself" is a reflexive pronoun that emphasizes the shared identity and characteristics of a group of individuals referred to as "we."

2. Not another or other, used almost wholly in the plural, and by way of emphasis.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for OURSELF

• bursel
• ousel
• noursele
• ursely
• ousels
• ourselv
• ousself
• foursel
• Vursel
• Oursenn
• Oursene

Etymology of OURSELF

The word "ourself" is not a standard English word. It seems to be a combination of the pronoun "our" and the reflexive pronoun "self".

The pronoun "our" derives from the Old English word "ūre", which is the genitive case of "we". It can be traced back to Proto-Germanic "unseraz" and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root "*nes-", meaning "us".

The reflexive pronoun "self" comes from the Old English word "self", which is also related to the pronoun "we". It is derived from the Proto-Germanic "*selbaz", and its original meaning was "the same".