English
exanimate
Exanimate comes from Latin exanimātus ‘weakened, exhausted, breathless or weak with…’, from animus ‘life, life force, soul, vitality’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- ‘to breathe’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁-‘to breathe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁mos‘breath’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anamos‘breath’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimus‘life, life force, soul, vitality’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanima‘air, breath’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimō‘fill with breath or air’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexanimō‘weaken, exhaust’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexanimātus‘weakened, exhausted, breathless or weak with emotion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590exanimate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁-‘to breathe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enh₁mos‘breath’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anamos‘breath’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimus‘life, life force, soul, vitality’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanima‘air, breath’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEanimō‘fill with breath or air’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexanimō‘weaken, exhaust’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexanimātus‘weakened, exhausted, breathless or weak with emotion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590exanimate
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto XII: “carckasses exanimate”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- ‘to breathe’
and, asthma, inhale, exhalation, prana, onde, 18 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos ‘breath’
through Proto-Italic *anamos ‘breath’
through Latin animus ‘life, life force, soul, vitality’
unanimous, animosity, animus, 12 more
through Latin anima ‘air, breath’
animal, anima, animism, 7 more
through Latin animō ‘fill with breath or air’
Today it means
adj Lifeless, not or no longer living, dead.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- / exanimate