Animateness

/ˈænɪmeɪtɪdnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being animated; liveliness, spiritedness, or the presence of animation.

Etymology

From animated + -ness. Animated comes from animate + -ed (adjective suffix). The -ness suffix creates abstract nouns from adjectives, a productive process in English since Old English times.

Kelly Says

The noun 'animateness' rarely appears in modern usage, but when it does, it carries philosophical weight—it forces us to ask whether animation (liveliness) is an inherent property of things or something we perceive and project onto them.

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