'animalism' originates from English, specifically from Latin 'animal' (from 'anima' meaning 'breath; soul') combined with the English suffix '-ism' meaning 'doctrine; system'.

'animal' entered Middle English via Old French from Latin 'animal'; English later added the productive suffix '-ism' to form 'animalism', which became the modern English word 'animalism'.

Initially, it meant 'animal quality or behavior', but it later developed the philosophical sense of 'the doctrine that persons are animals'.