Etymology: < Middle French, French anime (dated 15th cent. in A. J. Greimas Dictionnaire du moyen français (1992) at cited word; now historical or obsolete) and its probable etymon Italian anima (second half of the 14th cent.), perhaps a specific use of anima life, soul (see anima n.).The suggestion that the word is derived < classical Latin lāmina thin plate (see lame n.¹) is unsupported. Compare:1919 C. J. Battersby in Yorks. Archæol. Jrnl. 25 333 Florio's opinion on the etymology of the word is obviously not that of Sainte-Palaye. The former connected it with the Latin anima in its sense of ‘life’, ‘soul’; the latter connected it with the Latin lamina, ‘a metal plate’. The (rare) form anymate probably results from association with words in -ate suffix¹.

Etymology: < Spanish anime, †ánime, †amine, †animé (1555 or earlier; compare quot. 1555), of uncertain origin; perhaps < Tupi wana'ni (perhaps via Portuguese anani , anambi , ananim ); compare Portuguese anime in the same meaning (15th cent.). However, it is also possible that the name originated in Spanish, as a specific use of Spanish anime resin used for burning, incense (a1418), perhaps < classical Latin Amīnēum Aminean wine (use as noun (short for Amīnēum vīnum ) of neuter of Amīnēus ) with alteration by association with Spanish ánima or its etymon classical Latin anima anima n., although the semantic development is unclear.Post-classical Latin amineum occurs in 16th-cent. Spanish texts denoting resin, but it is unclear whether this was the model for the use in Spanish, or was instead modelled on it. In Spanish anime often occurs with the specifying adjective blanco , i.e. ‘white anime’, perhaps suggesting a connection with identification of amineum in post-classical Latin as a type of white wine (itself probably reflecting Isidore's etymology of amineus as < a mineo , i.e. without red colour: compare minium n.), but if so the transfer from a type of white wine to a type of white resin is surprising (perhaps again reflecting the Isidorian etymology). Aminean wine came from a region in Campania, and according to ancient authors the vines were brought from Thessaly by the Aminean people.

Etymology: < Japanese anime animation (1970 or earlier), shortened < animēshon (1959 or earlier) < English animation n. Perhaps compare also French animé (in dessin animé animation, cartoon (1935 or earlier) < dessin drawing (see design n.) + animé animé adj.).