proto-animism
|pro-to-an-i-sm|
🇺🇸
/ˌproʊtəˈænɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌprəʊtəˈænɪzəm/
early belief in spirits in things
Etymology
'proto-animism' is a Modern English compound formed from the Greek-derived prefix 'proto-' (from Greek 'protos' meaning 'first') and 'animism' (from Latin 'anima' meaning 'soul, breath').
'animism' developed from Latin 'anima' into words like French 'animisme' and then English 'animism'; the prefix 'proto-' (Greek 'protos') was later attached in English-language anthropology to mark an earlier or primitive stage, producing 'proto-animism'.
Initially the elements referred separately to 'first' and 'soul/breath'; over time the compound came to mean 'an early form or stage of animistic belief' used in anthropological and religious studies.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an early or rudimentary form of animism in which natural objects, phenomena, or artifacts are perceived as possessing spirits, life, or agency.
Archaeologists interpreted the grave goods and carved stones as evidence of proto-animism among the community, suggesting they attributed agency to objects.
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Noun 2
a theoretical stage in the evolution of religious belief systems preceding organized animism, often used in anthropology and the history of religion to describe proto-religious attribution of agency.
In some typologies of religion, proto-animism is treated as a pre-animistic stage that helps explain later ritual complexity.
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Last updated: 2025/12/02 15:31