'animative' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'animare', where 'anima' meant 'breath; soul' and the suffix '-ivus' meant 'having a tendency to'. In English it was formed from 'animate' + the suffix '-ive'.

'animare' changed through Old/Middle French 'animer' and Latin '-ivus' to English '-ive'; English 'animate' then yielded the derivative 'animative', which eventually became the modern English word 'animative'.

Initially, it meant 'life-giving or imparting animation', but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'enlivening' and, in linguistics, 'relating to animacy'.