Capable of being animated, brought to life, or given consciousness or movement; able to receive or possess a soul or life force.
From Latin 'anima' (soul, life) plus the suffix '-able' (capable of). Emerged in philosophical and theological contexts to describe what could receive animation.
Early animists and philosophers used 'animable' to make real distinctions—they believed some things like rocks were NOT animable, which shaped how different cultures viewed nature and morality.
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