Where does “animal” come from?
animal (Middle English) comes from Old French animal, from Latin animal, from Latin animālis, from Latin anima, from Latin animus, from Proto-Italic anamos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁- — to breathe.
animal (Middle English): An animal; Related to the soul or spirit of a...
Definitions
- An animal; Related to the soul or spirit of a...
Ancestry of “animal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | animal | — |
| 2 | Latin | animal | animal; living creature |
| 3 | Latin | animālis | animate, living |
| 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 |