desselben

Desselben is a historical variant form of the German demonstrative pronoun and determiner derselbe, meaning “the same” or “the very same.” The form appears mainly in older texts and in some regional dialects and is generally considered archaic in contemporary standard German. In current usage, the standard inflected forms include derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe and their compounds, such as denselben and demselben, depending on gender, number and case. Desselben as a standalone form is therefore primarily a stylistic or historical reference rather than a common everyday variant; it can appear in legal, literary, or ceremonial contexts to evoke an older register.

Etymology of desselbe/desselbe traces back to the combination of the demonstrative dies- with selbe, with regional spellings appearing in Middle High German. Over time, orthographic and phonetic changes led to several variants, including desselben in certain grammatical contexts. The form reflects the broader German pattern of merging demonstratives with pronoun-like elements to indicate exact sameness.

Usage and status today are largely confined to historical prose, linguistic discussion, or stylistic effect. When present, desselben signals precise identity between referenced items and often carries an antiquated or formal tone. In modern prose, writers typically prefer the standard forms derselbe/dieselbe/dasselbe and their inflected variants, such as denselben or demselben, depending on case and agreement.

See also: derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe, denselben, demselben.