animer

Animer is a French verb meaning to give life to something or to make it more lively, and in a technical sense to create animation for moving images. It can describe enlivening a gathering, energizing a discussion, or producing animated media content such as cartoons or computer animations.

Origin and forms: The word comes from Latin anima, "soul," through Old French, and it is a regular -er verb. In modern French, present tense forms are j’anime, tu animes, il anime, nous animons, vous animez, ils animent. The past participle is animé, used in phrases such as un film animé or une scène animée.

Usage and scope: In French, animation is a distinct noun referring to the act of animating or to the broader field of animation, including animated films and series. In English, the verb form is "to animate" rather than "animer," and "animation" is used for the process, the art form, or the resulting work. Cognate verbs exist in other Romance languages, such as Spanish animar and Italian animare, with similar meanings.

See also: animation; animated film; animator; animation techniques.