Etymograph

English

self-harm

From self- + harm.

A compound of self- + harm

Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-

Proto-Germanic *selbaz ‘self’

Proto-Germanic *selba-

English self-

Proto-Germanic *harmaz ‘harm’

Proto-West Germanic *harm ‘harm’

Old English hearm ‘harm, injury’

Middle English harm ‘harm’

English harm

Today it means

noun The deliberate nonsuicidal injuring of one's own body.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “self-harm”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / self-harm

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