"state or fact of felicitating oneself," 1630s, from self- + congratulation. Related: Self-congratulations.
Entries linking to self-congratulation
self-
word forming element indicating "oneself," also "automatic," from Old English use of self (pron.) in compounds, such as selfbana "suicide," selflice "self-love, pride, vanity, egotism," selfwill "free will." Middle English had self-witte "one's own knowledge and intelligence" (early 15c.).
OED counts 13 such compounds in Old English. Middle English Compendium lists four, counting the self-will group as a whole. It re-emerges as a living word-forming element mid-16c., "probably to a great extent by imitation or reminiscence of Greek compounds in (auto-)," and formed a great many words in the pamphlet disputes of the 17c.
congratulation n.
mid-15c., from Latin congratulationem (nominative congratulatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of congratulari "wish joy," from com "together, with" (see com-) + gratulari "give thanks, show joy," from gratus "agreeable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor").