'self-deception' originates from the combination of 'self' and 'deception', where 'self' refers to one's own person and 'deception' means the act of deceiving.

'Deception' comes from the Old French word 'deception', which in turn comes from the Latin 'deceptio', meaning 'a deceiving'.

Initially, it meant 'the act of deceiving', but over time it evolved to include the concept of deceiving oneself.