Etymograph

English

self-identify

From self- + identify.

Formed from self- + identify

Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-

Proto-Germanic *selbaz ‘self’

Proto-Germanic *selba-

English self-

Medieval Latin identificō ‘to identify’

French identifier ‘to identify’

English identify

Today it means

verb To identify (oneself) with a particular person or group, or as part of a particular group.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “self-identify”. 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-identify