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What is the word for giving an inanimate object human characteristics?
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stranger
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Carpal Tunnel
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Wouldn't anthropomorphism also cover giving animals human characteristics? Is there a similar word specific to inanimate objects?
Bingley
Bingley
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Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary defines Anthropomorphic as follows: 1. Ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, esp. to a deity. 2. Resembling or made to resemble a human form: an anthropomorphic carving
The example shows that it covers inanimate objects also.
In the children's show TRANSFORMERS (I don't know if it still plays, my son is 18 and watched it many moons ago) cars and planes used to become human-like. They used to say transform or metamorphose. Perhaps this is becoming the popular term for it.
Dag nabbit, Enigma leaves a little to be desired...it translated children's into Chili and unabridged as unacceptability. Très embarassing for a board dedicated to words. Are we accepting him like a senile old uncle??
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old hand
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old hand
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We're overlooking the obvious:
personification
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Dag nabbit, Enigma leaves a little to be desired.... Are we accepting him like a senile old uncle??Caught you in the anthropomorphizing act, belM 
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Interesting, JazzO. IMHO, 'personify' would be the antonym of 'anthropomorphize'.
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In reply to:
The example shows that it covers inanimate objects also.
Yes I know, but is there a word which covers inanimate objects only?
Bingley
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veteran
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'personify' would be the antonym of 'anthropomorphize'.
Fishy is confused, Anna! How so?
I think 'personify' gets my vote at present. "He's just anthropomorphizing his car" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
But I share Bingley's (and Borderman's?) feeling that there must be a word for attaching human qualities to inanimate objects alone.
If there isn't, perhaps we should invent one!
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here's one explanation I've seen regarding the [subtle] difference between anthropomorphism and personification:
if you use the device in fiction, it's personification; but if you try to apply the device to reality, the scientists will hit you with cries of anthropomorphism. I'm not aware of any word that applies to inanimate objects only.
(read this twice now and call your saltician in the morning.)
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