Where does “animalculist” come from?

animalculist (English) comes from English animalcule, from Latin animalculum, from Latin animal, from Latin animālis, from Latin anima, from Latin animus, from Proto-Italic anamos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos — to breathe.

animalculist (English): A believer in the theory that the embryo exists...

Definitions

  1. A believer in the theory that the embryo exists...

Ancestry of “animalculist”, step by step

animalculist traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English animalcule

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishanimalculeA small animal; A microscopic aquatic animal or...
2Latinanimalculumanimalcule
3Latinanimalanimal; living creature
4Latinanimālisanimate, living
5Latinanimasoul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath
6LatinanimusThat life-giving aspect which animates: life...
7Proto-Italicanamosbreath; spirit, soul, life force
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁mosbreath
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁-to breathe

via English ist

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishistA practitioner or supporter of an ism
2English-istAdded to words to form nouns denoting
3Old French-iste
4Latin-ista-ist; one who practises or believes
5Ancient Greek-ιστήςAlternative form of -τής; -ist
6Ancient Greek-τήςAppended to verbs to form agent nouns
7Proto-Hellenic-tās

via French animalculiste

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchanimalculisteanimalculist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mosEvery word from Proto-Italic anamos