ánima

See also: Appendix:Variations of "anima"

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin anima. Doublet of alma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈanima/ [ˈa.ni.ma]
• Rhymes: -anima
• Syllabification: á‧ni‧ma

Noun

ánima f (plural ánimes)

1. soul

   Synonym: alma

   • 1954 July 14, Alfredo Villa y Villa, “El bable, fala melguera”, in VOLUNTAD: diario de falange española tradicionalista y de las JONS‎^[1]:

     tolo que ye la xuxa de l'ánima d'Asturies.

     everything that is the essence of the soul of Asturias

2. (in the plural) the dead
3. (in the plural) halloween (clipping of Nueche d'Ánimes)
4. (in the plural, colloquial) november (clipping of mes d'ánimes)

   Synonym: payares

Derived terms

• Día d'Ánimes
• facer ánimes
• mes d'ánimes
• Nueche d'Ánimes
• poyu d'ánimes
• vaya poles ánimes
• ánima en pena
• ánima viva

Further reading

• “ánima”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN
• García Arias, Xosé Lluis (2002–2004), “ánima”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (overall work in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN

Galician

Alternative forms

• anima (reintegrationist)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-mos

Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos

Proto-Italic *anamos

Latin animus

Latin animalbor.

Galician ánima

Learned borrowing from Latin anima. Doublet of alma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈanima/ [ˈa.nĩ.mɐ]
• Rhymes: -anima
• Hyphenation: á‧ni‧ma

Noun

ánima f (plural ánimas)

1. soul (especially of the dead)

   Synonym: alma

Portuguese

Noun

ánima f (plural ánimas)

1. alternative spelling of anima

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-mos

Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos

Proto-Italic *anamos

Latin animus

Latin animabor.

Spanish ánima

Borrowed from Latin anima. Compare alma, a doublet inherited from the same source.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈanima/ [ˈa.ni.ma]
• Rhymes: -anima
• Syllabification: á‧ni‧ma

Noun

ánima f (plural ánimas)

1. soul

   Synonym: alma

2. bore, calibre

   Synonym: calibre

Usage notes

• Before feminine nouns beginning with stressed /ˈa/ like ánima, the singular definite article takes the form of el (otherwise reserved for masculine nouns) instead of the usual la: el ánima. This includes the contracted forms al and del (instead of a la and de la, respectively): al ánima, del ánima.

This also applies to the indefinite article, which takes the form of un, which is otherwise used with masculine nouns (although the standard feminine form una also occurs): un ánima or una ánima. The same is true with determiners algún/alguna and ningún/ninguna, as well as for numerals ending with 1 (e.g., veintiún/veintiuna).

However, if another word intervenes between the article and the noun, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (la, una etc.) are used: la mejor ánima, una buena ánima.

• In these cases, el and un are not masculine but feminine, deriving from Latin illa and una, respectively, even though they are identical in form to the corresponding masculine singular articles. Thus, they are allomorphs of the feminine singular articles la and una.
• The use of these allomorphs does not change the gender agreement of the adjectives modifying the feminine noun: el ánima única, un(a) ánima buena.
• In the plural, the usual feminine plural articles and determiners (las, unas, etc.) are always used.

Related terms

• animal
• animar
• animismo
• animista
• ánimo

Descendants

• Highland Popoluca: a̱namaj
• Mezquital Otomi: animä
• Oluta Popoluca: a̱nima
• K'iche': anima'

Further reading

• “ánima”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025