Etymology

self-importance

Today it means: An exaggerated estimate of one's own importance or merit, especially as manifested by the conduct or manners; self-conceit. Full definition →

English importance ← Middle English self- ← Old English self-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanic*selbaz
  4. Old Englishself
  5. Old Englishself-
  6. Middle Englishself-
  7. Englishself-
  8. Englishimportance
  9. English todayself-importance

From self- + importance.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.