selfship

From self +‎ -ship. Compare Danish selvskab, Swedish självskap, Norwegian selvskap.

selfship (uncountable)

1. The state, essence, or quality of self; identity; individuality.
   • 1882, Sarah A. Ramsdell, The lessons of the ages:

     [...] separate from God, or so long as God is only found in the heavens, and man is trying with the wrong key to unlock the sanctuary of this divine selfship.

   • 1918, International journal of surgery:

     Our selfship of the past must develop into citizenship. We must remember that each individual in the community is an asset to us — that no nation can be strong if its citizens are weak and diseased.

   • 1973, Melvin Herman Marx, William Allen Hillix, Systems and theories in psychology:

     The time-honored way was to use self as though it were a little man-inside-the-man who ordered all activities so that they pretty well suited his imperial selfship.

   • 1999, Iyanla Vanzant, In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want:

     Having learned so much about family relationships, friendships, and, more important, the selfship, Luanne documented how to develop and nurture all relationships with the vigilant employment of loving principles.