Where does “pusillanimous” come from?
Pusillanimous comes from Latin pusillanimis, combining pusillus (very small) with animus (spirit), from Proto-Italic anamos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos meaning spirit or breath.
pusillanimous (English): Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible...
Definitions
- Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible...
Ancestry of “pusillanimous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pusillanimité | — |
| 2 | Latin | pusillanimis | faint-hearted, timid, pusillanimous |
| 3 | Latin | animus | That life-giving aspect which animates: life... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | anamos | breath; spirit, soul, life force |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁mos | breath |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁- | to breathe |