Index: src/core.js
===================================================================
--- src/core.js	(revision 5953)
+++ src/core.js	(working copy)
@@ -1258,6 +1258,7 @@
 jQuery.each({
 	parent: function(elem){return elem.parentNode;},
 	parents: function(elem){return jQuery.dir(elem,"parentNode");},
+	selfOrParents: function(elem){return jQuery.dir(elem,"parentNode",elem);},
 	next: function(elem){return jQuery.nth(elem,2,"nextSibling");},
 	prev: function(elem){return jQuery.nth(elem,2,"previousSibling");},
 	nextAll: function(elem){return jQuery.dir(elem,"nextSibling");},
Index: src/selector.js
===================================================================
--- src/selector.js	(revision 5953)
+++ src/selector.js	(working copy)
@@ -409,9 +409,9 @@
 		return { r: r, t: t };
 	},
 
-	dir: function( elem, dir ){
+	dir: function( elem, dir, start ){
 		var matched = [],
-			cur = elem[dir];
+			cur = start || elem[dir];
 		while ( cur && cur != document ) {
 			if ( cur.nodeType == 1 )
 				matched.push( cur );