'self-control' originates from the combination of 'self' and 'control', where 'self' refers to one's own person and 'control' means to exercise restraint or direction over.

'self-control' evolved from the Middle English word 'self' and the Old French word 'controle', eventually becoming the modern English word 'self-control'.

Initially, it meant 'to control oneself', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.