'self-harming' originates from the combination of 'self' and 'harm,' where 'self' refers to one's own person and 'harm' means to cause injury or damage.

'self-harm' evolved from the concept of 'self-inflicted injury' and became a recognized term in psychological contexts.

Initially, it referred to any form of self-inflicted injury, but over time it evolved to specifically denote behaviors associated with emotional distress.