Where does “inanimate” come from?
Inanimate comes from Middle English in- combined with animate, which derives from Latin animāre meaning "to give life to," from Latin animus meaning "soul" or "spirit," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European en.
inanimate (English): Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as "an...
Definitions
- Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as "an...
Ancestry of “inanimate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | inanimatus | inanimate |
| 2 | Latin | animātus | filled with breath or air |
| 3 | Latin | animō | to fill with breath or air |
| 4 | Latin | anima | soul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath |
| 5 | Latin | animus | That life-giving aspect which animates: life... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | anamos | breath; spirit, soul, life force |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁mos | breath |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁- | to breathe |