Themselves

/ðɛmˈsɛlvz/ or /ðəmˈsɛlvz/ pronoun

Themselves is used when the people or things already mentioned both do and receive the action, as in 'They taught themselves.' It can also add emphasis, as in 'They themselves didn’t know.'

From Middle English *themselven*, combining 'them' with 'selves'. It parallels older forms like 'himself' and 'herself', created for clarity and emphasis.

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