Definitions For Themself

Pronoun

{{en-pron}} {{non-gloss definition, The reflexive form of they, the third-person singular personal pronoun.}} The single person previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition {{qualifier, also used for emphasis}}. : Someone could hurt themself. : Anyone who wants a car like mine can buy one themself.

Usage notes

The use of themself instead of themselves is sometimes proscribed,Carl W. Hart, Rocket English Grammar (2012, {{ISBN, 1938690214}}, page 55 but it is relatively common "considering that singular they is unquestionably far less frequent than plural they".Grammar Without Grammaticality: Growth and Limits of Grammatical Precision (2013, {{ISBN, 3110290014}}, page 56 Furthermore, the use of themself as a singular and themselves as a plural is in "clear parallel [to] common usage of the second-person forms, where yourselves can be contrasted with yourself",Laura Paterson, British Pronoun Use, Prescription, and Processing (2014, {{ISBN, 1137332735}}, page 170 and the same is true in the first person, where ourselves contrasts with ourself. For more on the use of they as a singular pronoun, see they. For information on the use of he and himself as a generic singular pronoun, see he.

Synonyms

themselves {{qualifier, more common}} theirself, theirselves {{qualifier, nonstandard}} himself, herself {{qualifier, gender-specific}} thonself {{qualifier, rare}} other appendix:english third-person singular pronouns, attested and appendix:list of protologisms/third person singular gender neutral pronouns, proposed third-person pronouns

Etymology

from them + themselves by analogy with the singular-plural distinction between yourself and yourselves. the coinage seems to be a 20th century reflex of the increased use of they as a singular pronoun. a parallel is found in middle english theimself, but it is not clear that there is any continuity between medieval and modern usage./">self, modelled on the plural themselves by analogy with the singular-plural distinction between yourself and yourselves. the coinage seems to be a 20th century reflex of the increased use of they as a singular pronoun. a parallel is found in middle english theimself, but it is not clear that there is any continuity between medieval and modern usage.