'self-improvement' originates from the combination of 'self,' meaning one's own person, and 'improvement,' which comes from the Old French 'emprouvement,' meaning 'to make better.'

'self-improvement' evolved from the Middle English 'emprouven,' which meant 'to make better,' and eventually became the modern English term 'improvement' combined with 'self.'

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