ownself

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From own +‎ self.

Pronoun[edit]

ownself

  1. (now chiefly regional, especially Southern US, Caribbean, Singlish) (One's) self; used with a preceding possessive adjective to form a pronominal phrase. [from 14th c.]
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, [], →OCLC:
      You may be ashamed of your ownself, to disturb People at this Time of Night.
    • 1937, Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Harper, published 2013, page 3:
      “Tea Cake ain't been no boy for some time. He's round thirty his ownself.”
    • 2016, John Chan, Singlish Notebook:
      Did you paint this your ownself?