A person who practices or believes in animism, viewing natural objects and phenomena as possessing spirits or consciousness.
From animism (Latin 'anima' + -ism) combined with the -ist suffix meaning 'one who practices or believes in.' Emerged in 19th-century anthropological literature.
The term 'animist' was created by Western scholars to categorize non-Western religions, but many indigenous people don't call themselves this—it's a reminder that sometimes outsiders' labels don't match how people see themselves!
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