Inanimate
/ɪnˈæn.ɪ.mət/noun
Not alive, or lacking life and energy.
Did you know?Inanimate ultimately comes from Latin *animare* (“to give life, breathe into”), from *anima* (“breath, soul”), so the word is built from the ancient belief that life itself was something you could literally breathe into matter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂enh₁-
“to breathe; to blow”
Latin
Latin
anima
“breath, soul, life”
Latin
Latin
animare
“to animate, give life to, inspire”
Late Latin
Latin
inanimatus
“lifeless, not endowed with life”
Middle English
English
inanimate
“lifeless; not living”
Explore more surprising origins