animacy
|an-i-ma-cy|
/ˈænɪməsi/
state of being animate / having life or agency
Etymology
'animacy' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anima', where 'anima' meant 'soul, life, breath'. The English noun was formed from the adjective 'animate' plus the noun-forming suffix '-cy'.
'animacy' developed in English from the adjective 'animate' (from Latin 'animatus', past participle of 'animare', itself from 'anima') with the addition of the suffix '-cy' to create a noun meaning the state or condition related to 'animate'.
Initially related to 'anima' meaning 'soul' or 'breath', the sense shifted toward the grammatical and semantic property of being alive or agentive, giving the modern meaning of 'the state or quality of being animate'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property or grammatical category that distinguishes entities considered animate (alive, sentient, or agentive) from those considered inanimate; used in linguistics to classify nouns or influence agreement and case marking.
Some languages mark animacy in their noun-class or case systems, causing different agreement patterns for animate and inanimate nouns.
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Noun 2
the quality of appearing lively, spirited, or full of life (less common; often overlapping with 'animation').
The actor's animacy brought the character to life on stage.
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Last updated: 2025/09/14 15:40