Etymograph

English

animal

Animal comes from Middle English animal ‘an animal’, from Latin anima ‘breath, spirit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁-‘to breathe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁mos‘breath’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anamos‘breath’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimus‘life’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanima‘breath’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimālis
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimal
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400same form
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘an animal’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1650same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁-‘to breathe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁mos‘breath’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anamos‘breath’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimus‘life’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanima‘breath’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimālis
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimal
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400same form
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘an animal’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1650same form

Earliest quotation: 1650, Thomas Browne, Of the Cameleon: “It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- ‘to breathe’

and, asthma, inhale, exhalation, prana, onde, 21 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos ‘breath’

anemone, 14 more

through Latin animus ‘life, life force, soul, vitality’

unanimously, unanimous, animosity, animus, 13 more

through Latin anima ‘breath, spirit’

anime, animism, 10 more

Another origin of animal

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁-‘to breathe’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁mos‘breath’uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anamos‘breath’uncertain
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimus‘life, life force, soul, vitality’uncertain
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanima‘breath, spirit’uncertain
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimālis
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500animal‘Related to the soul or spirit of a living being’
  8. Englishtodaysame form

Originally distinct from the noun, it became associated with attributive use of the noun and is now indistinguishable from it.

Today it means

noun A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia that is usually mobile, with cells that are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- / animal

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