An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

Any living creature that is distinguished from plants by independent movement and responsive sense organs.

From L. animale "living being, being which breathes," neuter of animalis "animate, living; of the air," from anima "breath; soul; breeze," cognate with Pers. jân, as below.

Jânevar, jânvar, Mid.Pers. gyânwar "animal; animate," literally "living, alive; quick," from jân, Mid.Pers. (+ prefix *ui-) gyân "(breathing) soul," gyânig "spiritual, vital;" Av. viiānayā "spirit(ness)"; Proto-Iranian *HanH- "to breathe" cf. Skt. ani- "to breathe," aniti "breathes;" Gk. anemos "wind;" L. animus "soul, spirit," anima "breeze, breath, soul;" Goth. uz-anan "to exhale" (Cheung 2007) + -e epenthesis + -var possession suffix; also hen o hen "to pant;" dialects, e.g. Lori, Kurd., henâs, henâsa "breath," henowša "panting."

A → lunisolar calendar in which the years are named after each of the following twelve animals: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog, pig. An animal presides over one year in the twelve-year cycle, which is then repeated. The calendar was/is mainly used by central Asian cultures (Khotanese, Sogdians, Buddhists, Kucheans, Mongols, and Chinese). It was also used in Iran after the Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century.

→ duodecennial; → animal; → calendar.

An animal that is hunted and killed by a → predator as food.

→ prey; → animal.