animalcule

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂enh₁-“to breathe”
2. Latin · derived fromanimal“animal; living creature”
3. Late Latin · learned borrowing fromanimalculum“lowly or small animal”
4. English todayanimalcule

Learned borrowing from Late Latin animalculum (“lowly or small animal”) + English -cule (diminutive suffix). Animalculum is derived from Latin animal (“animal; living creature”) + -culum (diminutive suffix); and animal from animāle, the nominative neuter singular of animālis (“animate, living; relating to living creatures”), from anima (“breath; life; soul, spirit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). The English word is analysable as animal + -cule.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. A sperm cell or spermatozoon; also, the embryo that was formerly thought to be contained inside a spermatozoon in a fully developed state.
• from 17th c. A microscopic aquatic animal, including protozoa and rotifers.
• 16th–20th c. A small animal.