Animalised

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. To exhibit qualities or traits reminiscent of non-human creatures
2. Having been given the features or qualities typical of animals
3. Altered to show traits or behavior associated with animals

Etymology: "Animalised" is the past tense and past participle of "animalise", a verb built from "animal" and the suffix "-ise", which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make something into or give it the qualities of that noun. The base word "animal" comes from Latin "animal", meaning a living creature, which was itself formed from "anima", breath or soul. So the verb is a straightforward combination of an ancient base and a common English suffix. The participle sense in the definition, having been given animal features or qualities, follows the usual pattern for such verbs: the action has been carried out on something, leaving it changed. A thing that has been animalised has been made to resemble or behave like an animal, whether literally, as in an organism or artwork altered to look more beastly, or figuratively, as in a person stripped of reason or dignity.