Where does “животъ” come from?

животъ (Old East Slavic) comes from Proto-Slavic životъ, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wo-teh₂, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.

Ancestry of “животъ”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Proto-Slavic	životъ	life; belly
2	Proto-Indo-European	gʷih₃wo-teh₂	—
3	Proto-Indo-European	gʷeih₃w-	to live

животъ — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer