Common Terms used by Therians and Otherkin

[ulfrvif]

If you think a term should be included or have more information about any of the terms currently in this list, please leave a comment or send Ulfrvif ( https://ulfrvif.dreamwidth.org/profile) a message. 


Alter-human: Alternative Humanity Personal Identity (AHPI) is "A category of personal identity which encompasses identification that is alternative to the common societal idea of humanity." You may decide to call yourself alter-human if you experience an internal identity that is beyond the scope of what is traditionally considered 'being human'. If you feel nonhuman but your experiences do not fit into Therianthropy or Otherkinity, you may want to learn more about Alter-humans.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Alter-human
  
• Website - http://www.alt-h.net/
  
• Tumblr - https://alt--h.tumblr.com/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/alt__h
  

Animal-hearted: when a person identifies as human but has a strong "connection with" or feels a "relation with" an animal. The term was coined on The Daemon Forum. It's definition was clarified by a member named Teddy on October 26, 2009. This is not the same as being a Therianthrope, who identifies as an animal. "I identify WITH wolves." does not equal"I identify AS a wolf." Some people may use the term Kith. The equivalent term in the Otherkin community is Other-hearted. To use the term correctly, a person who feels close to deer would say, "I am deer-hearted." or "I am deer kith."

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Animal-hearted
  
• Mossland, "An Interesting Find" January 19,2018 http://atlas-of-mossland.tumblr.com/post/169890816504/an-interesting-find
  
• House of Chimeras, August 17, 2014 "The History of the Term Animal-Hearted" http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/94999217300/the-hisotry-of-the-term-animal-hearted
  

Awakening: the process of realizing and accepting that you are a Therianthrope. Typically Therians report experiencing this phenomenon in early adolescence (generally between the ages of 10 to 15) though some have reported time frames for their awakening earlier and later in life. The term awakening was being used in the first days of the community, as early as 1994.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Awakening
  
• "Werecard" Alt.horror.werewolves, December 27, 1994. "This event triggered a kind of awakening within me, I've never felt before." https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.horror.werewolves/yF62b6zutRA/wlBAZEuZAC4J

Cladotherianthrope/Cladotherian: a Therian who does not identify as a distinct species, but instead feels a broader identity encompassing an entire genus or family, such as Canis or Canidea, or a larger grouping. Cladotherianthropy was coined in 2003 on the now defunct Awereness Forums. The term comes from the Greek words klados meaning "branch" and therion meaning "animal." The klados prefix was originally chosen because in scientific terms, a clade is a group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor, and all its lineal descendants, according to the principles of cladistics.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Cladotherianthropy
  
• http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/a-history-of-the-therian-community---2003.html 

Contherianthrope/Contherian: a Therian who does not experience mental shifts, but is always in a state of both theriotype and human at the same time (passive). This is considered a level of integration. The term was coined by Joshua Lion Templin on January 19, 1997. His work "A Short View of Modern Contherianthropy" was posted to AHWW in four parts. "I bring forth then contherianthropy, adding 'con', from Latin 'contas', meaning unchanging. The unchanging is that of the single mixed agent and its continuous perception."

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Contherianthropy
  
• Joshua Lion Templin,  "A Short View on Modern Contherianthropy" January 19, 1997. http://web.archive.org/web/20051028221321/http://www.leonine.com/~lion/cthwww/mt_d_001.txt
  

Copinglink (C'Linker): is a person who consciously creates a coping mechanism which centers around knowingly, willingly, and actively identifying as (or in some cases, with) the user's choice of a non-human entity. This term was coined by Who-Is-Page around September 2015 on Tumblr. The term is meant to replace "copingkin" because that term implied a form of Otherkin which it is not, because being Otherkin is not consciously chosen.

A Copinglink is able to change and pick who/what they identify as/with as need dictates. This identity can be created by anyone, and thus, is not dictated by one's mental health. This is not to be confused with instinctual and unconscious defense mechanisms/behaviors which can lead to Therianthropy or Otherkinity. A person who is a Copinglink could also be a Therian or Otherkin at the same time as long as the theriotype or kintype was an unconscious identity that was not chosen. A person could also be Other-hearted while being a Copinglink.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Copinglink
  
• http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/post/139572508999/fearlykid-hey-hey-hiya-can-someone-explain-how
• http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/post/139871297049/clinkers-and-copinglink
• http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/personalfaq
  
  

Greymuzzle: an older member of the community who may be seen as wiser and more experienced. First used on AHWW, they were the 'backbones' of the community who had been in the group the longest. A remark by Windrunner in the "Our History" section of the AHWW FAQ from 1996/1997 seems to suggest that Smash Graywolf coined or perpetuated this term.

To be considered a Greymuzzle, one has been actively involved in the community for approximately 10 years, around 30 years of age, or has garnered widespread respect in the greater community. Age is not always a factor, as some Therians do awaken in their adult years. Unfortunately the term has been abused, so don't blindly trust others who label themselves a Greymuzzle. If you are unsure, it's okay to ask for proof of their time and involvement within the Therian community. If someone refuses to answer, then use caution.

References

• "Our History" section of the AHWW FAQ. Windrunner. 1996.http://www.firelion.org/raven/ahwwfaq/ahwwfaq09.html#part8
  
• Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/
  

Howl: a real life gathering or meeting of Weres/Therians, usually to go camping. The term was originally used on Alt.horror.werewolves. The first "Howl", the 1994 Harvest Howl, was organized by Smash Greywolf in Ohio, USA. To learn more and read about other notable Howls that followed, see references.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Howl
  
• Smash GreyWolf, Turning Back Time...,November 10 2008. (archived page) https://web.archive.org/web/20090309071049/http://www.lycanthrope.com:80/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:firsthowl&catid=1:latest-news
  
• O. Scribner, "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged," last modified Sept. 8, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Scribner_Lexicon_0-1.pdf
  
  

Otherkin: real, non-fictional people who identify as other than human. Otherkin identify as creatures from myth and legend, usually elves, faeries, and dragons. This is a sincere identity, not role-play. Being otherkin is a very individualistic thing: each otherkin reaches his own explanation for how and why he is an otherkin. There are both spiritual and psychological hypotheses for the causes or origins of feeling non-human. The term was coined in 1990 by Torin in the Elfinkind Digest listserve. It is a variant of the word "otherkind," which referred to any creature that was not Elven. In the early 2000's it became an umbrella term that could include Vampires, Therianthropes and other people with animal self-images.

References

• Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/
  
• Scribner, O. "Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 2.0." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/
  
  

Paleotherianthrope /Paleotherian: a person who as an internal self-identification as an extinct species. The term appears on Alt.Horror.Werewolves in a thread from 1997. The term can appear as "paleokin" in the Otherkin community. Paleotherians are considered uncommon. Often they have feelings of being out of time and place.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Paleotherian
  
• "Odd musing: weres of extinct animals?" January 25, 1997. Alt.Horrow.Werewolves, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/pHBAX7xEhsE/UHJelHp7HSQJ
  
  

Phytanthrope: a person who has an internal self-identification as a plant; experiencing phytanthropy. Comes from "phyto-" meaning plant and "-anthrope"meaning human. The term was created in 2013 by Darahagh (da-re-har-uh), a southern live oak. Plantkin is also an acceptable term that actually came into use earlier that phytanthrope around 2004 in a Livejournal community.

"It was a term I cobbled to together in in February 2013 for myself as a plant-identified person to use due to being tired of people saying otherkin are mythical creatures only even while plantkin being part of the otherkin community."  -Darahagh

The term wereplant was being used on AHWW in the early 1990's, and a few people were reported to have identified as plants back then. In 2004 on the website Green Is More Than A Color the term "greenkin" was also used. In 2006 the term "woodkin" was coined on another Livejournal community, unfortunately this profile has been purged. 

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Phytanthrope
• Darahagh, House of Chimeras, "Kin to the Plants: Of People Who Identify As Plants", 05 April 2013. http://houseofchimeras.livejournal.com/128446.html
• "A History of Plant-Identified People in the Otherkin Communities"- http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/a-history-of-plant-identified-people-in-the-otherkin-communities.html
• "What Being A Phytanthrope is To Me"- http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/what-being-a-phytanthrope-is-to-me.html
• Darahagh, "Plantkin/Phytanthrope" June 2, 2018, http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/174495825925/plantkinphytanthrope
  
• Plant / Green 'Kin. August 4th 2004, [accessed June 2 2018]. https://plant-otherkin.livejournal.com/profile
• Phytanthropy, April 23, 2014, http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/83649310749/phytanthropy 
• "Stupid Question," alt.horror.werewolves, February 20, 1995, [accessed June 2, 2018]. https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/ZEDpEzhCDjA/jEAFj-yq1EUJ
• "Green is more than a color?," Qilora.com, [accessed June 2 2018]. http://web.archive.org/web/20060207123401/http://greenkin.qilora.com/
• Woodkin, June 15 2006, [accessed June 2 2018]. https://woodkin.livejournal.com/profile
  
  

Polytherianthrope/Polytherian: identity with more than one species of nonhuman animal. Poly is a prefix meaning "many". This is the current terminology. Polytherian replaced the old term Polywere which had first been use in 1996. It is not known exactly when the term polytherian became standard use within the community. It most likely came into use in 2005/2006 when the term Therianthrope was replacing Were.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Polytherian
• https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/WDdboohjnkc/1CneYAUjNVwJ
  
  

Shift (Therianthropic): a temporary change in mentality, mood, sensory perception, or spirit that causes a Therianthrope to feel more instinctual or animalistic like the therioside in a non-physical manner. Shifting has been discussed since the beginning of the online Therian community. "Your best mental transformation", is a discussion from AHWW which took place on December 1, 1993.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Shift_(Therianthropic)
• "Your best mental transformation", AHWW, December 1, 1993 -https://groups.google.com/d/topic/alt.horror.werewolves/sfJ0k722SKA/discussion
• "Believe It or Not?" written by Meirya, December 2007, Project Shift -http://project-shift.net/believe-it-or-not/
• "Types of Shifts" written by Sonne, Project Shift -http://project-shift.net/types-of-shifts/
• Therian Timeline - Words and Concepts -http://www.theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/words_and_concepts
• O. Scribner, "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged," last modified Sept. 8, 2012 in The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/

Shifter's Disease: "occurs when a person starts reading some therianthropic meaning into mundane, everyday occurrences." Individuals who are researching Therianthropy may begin to trick themselves into thinking that normal feelings and sensations that can be explained rationally, are actually therianthropic shifts or evidence of Therianthropy. This in turn, leads them to falsely identify as a Therian for a short  period of time. This is similar to Medical Student's Disease (MSD) in which medical students perceive themselves to be experiencing the symptoms of a disease that they are studying. This term was coined by the members of Shifters.org circa 2001.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Shifter%27s_Disease
• Pinky "Shifter's Disease" https://web.archive.org/web/20010203200900/http://www.shifters.org/newbies/disease.shtml
• Polar "What is Shifter's Disease" https://web.archive.org/web/20010702102741/http://www.shifters.org/newbies/polar1.shtml
  
  

Suntherianthrope/Suntherian: "a therian whose therioside (primary or sole therioside) is integrated into his baseline personality. However, that integration does not prevent him/her from having minor fluctuations of mood that feel slightly more animal, or slightly less animal. He/she can feel them both at the same time, human and animal. He/she can not mental shift into his/her base theriotype (whether primary or sole)." The term was created by WordWolf on April 18th, 2005. It was not a community coined term. Instead WordWolf created the term to describe his own personal experiences. The terms Syntherianthropy and Syntherian are interchangeable. This is different from the accepted meaning of Contherian.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Suntherianthropy
• "Suntherian" Thread on Christian Therianthropy forum in which WordWolf coined and defined the term. April 18, 2005. http://werecat.proboards.com/thread/304/suntherian
  
  

Therianthrope: a person experiencing Modern Therianthropy; a person who has an internal self-identification as a non-human species. Therianthropes understand that they are still physically human. Therianthrope was being used in Alt.Horror.Werewolves as early as 1995/96. Therian is shortened slang or jargon that became commonly used around 2005. Before that, members of the community called themselves Weres. The words therianthropy and therianthrope originate from the portmanteu of the Greek words Therios and Anthropos (animal and human respectively) which combined loosely translates to "human animal" or "animal man".

There are many sub-types of Therianthropes. See the pages for each to learn more.
Polytherian
Paleotherianthrope
Cladotherianthrope
Vacillant Therianthrope
Suntherianthrope
Contherianthrope

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthrope
• Therianthropy, AHWW, December 14, 1994 https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/alt.horror.werewolves/therianthropy%7Csort:date/alt.horror.werewolves/-Bl7zmVezJs/lCpsZ-AAUToJ
• Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O.Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
• Scribner, O. "Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 2.0." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/ [Therianthrope/Therian term page 30-32] [History of online Therian community start on page 28]

Modern Therianthropy: is an identity and ontological phenomenon categorized by a deep integral or personal belief that an individual is to some degree, a non-human animal. This is not to be confused with historical therianthropy. Therianthropes are still human, understand that they have human bodies, and understand that physical shape-shifting is not possible.

The word Therianthropy originates from a portmanteu of the Greek words Therios and Anthropos (animal and human respectively) which, combined, loosely translate to "human animal" or "animal man".

"Therianthropy is an innate part of the person's life. Therianthropy is the recognition and acceptance of the animal within."

Therianthropy is a subjective belief based on personal experiences and not on scientific fact, with most Therians being "self-labelled" or "self-identified". Therefore, both spiritual and psychological hypotheses for its cause or origin are legitimate and acceptable in the community.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropy
• Shifters.org Encyclopedia http://web.archive.org/web/20060821231231/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/terms-t.htm
• Therian Timeline, Mind of the Were, Development http://theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/the_mind_of_the_were
• "Foundation's Edge: The History of the Online Were community, Jakkal, 1999. http://web.archive.org/web/20010620111439/http:/www.were.net/foundation.shtml
  
  

Theriomythic: can be used by individuals who straddle the Otherkin and Therian communities, in that they identify (non-physically) as one or more mythical type creatures (IE. Dragon, griffon, etc.). This term is used by people who feel that their theriotype/kintype is more wild and instinctual or a being that does not have what is considered an advanced culture (i.e. a dragon or unicorn that does not speak a language and that does not use magic). These individuals may feel more at home in the Therian community or find it easier to discuss their more feral shifts and experiences with Therianthropes.

The term seems to have been originally coined on the Therian Wilderness Forum in 2010 as theriomythos. It was then translated into Spanish as los theriomitos by Otherkin Hispano. It was re-translated from the Spanish into English as theriomythics by Akhila, on May 24, 2013. Weremythic was used in an AHWW discussion on July 25, 1996.

"So, apparently the term, "theriomythic" isn't exactly a new concept in the therian community though one that didn't gain a lot of attention. More the new term, theriomythic, is people coming to a similar conclusion and use of phrase as others had once perhaps." - LionGoatSnake (aka House of Chimeras) -

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Theriomythic
• Re Harakhti, Common Misconceptions and FAQ, question #2, May 28, 2010, http://therian-wilderness.proboards.com/thread/3082/common-misconceptions-faq(accessed Sept 2, 2017)
• Jarandhel, Theriomythics, Tumblr, February 28, 2013, https://jarandhel.tumblr.com/post/44222181640/theriomythics (accessedApril 4, 2018)
• Golden Spirit, "Classes or Types", Otherkin Hispano, https://sites.google.com/site/otherkinhispano/tipos(accessed April 4, 2018)
  
  

Theriotype/Therioside: now the most common words for the animal species which is an individual's nonhuman identity. The term came into use in 1999. Theriotypes are based on known animal species extant and extinct. An example of usage is "I have a whale therioside." It is also acceptable to say "I am a whale Therian." The term was developed as a replacement for the old words Wereside and Phenotype. Some Therianthropes believe that a theriotype develops as part of their mentality much in the same way that their personality develops.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Theriotype
• http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/history-of-the-therian-community---1999.html
• Therian Timeline, Words and Concepts, http://www.theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/words_and_concepts
• Terms and Definitions, Sonne, hosted on Project Shift. http://project-shift.net/terms-definitions
• Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/ 
  

Vacillant Therianthrope/VacillantTherian: refers to a Therian whose animal side and human side are integrated such that one or the other may still come to the front of the mind noticeably stronger than the other, as needed or as desired. This describes a level of integration when shifts occur more gradually and smoothly, as if on a sliding scale, and shifts tend to follow a more consistent pattern. Although unexpected stimuli may trigger sharper or more sudden shifts. This is a term coined by the community in 2004 or 2005. It is based on the word vacillate which means to alternate or waver.

References

• http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Vacillant_Therianthropy
• "Contherianthropy, Suntherianthropy, BS therianthropy, Apatherianthropy..." by Jakkal, March 14, 2006. http://bitchcraft.livejournal.com/1968.html
• Wolf Van Zandt, Mind of the Were, Therian Timeline, http://theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/the_mind_of_the_were
• Velvet Wings, January 6, 2016, "Contherianthropy and Vacillant Therianthropy" http://felinity.co.uk/therianthropy/contherianthropy-vs-vacillant-therianthropy/

 

 

Comments

[dinogrrl]

Just chiming in to say that these are pretty much the definitions I've come across over the years. *thumbs up*

[elinox]

I would tend to use this definition for otherkin instead: Otherkin – An umbrella term that encompasses the belief that all or part of the personal identity is something other than human. This has been explained by mental wiring, past life memories, spirituality, etc. There are subgroups under this including, but not limited to, therianthropes, angelics/celestials, demons, vampires, fae, elves, dragons or walk-ins/multiples.

Maybe merge it with what you have?

Also, perhaps you'd like to include "re-awakening" along with awakening?

Re-Awakening – A term that I use to describe my personal experiences. I use this in place of “awakening” simply because I feel that I’ve always been different and that my otherkinness has always been a part of me. I did not “awaken” and become ‘kin, I was born this way and it’s an integral part of who I am and how I identify myself. Re-awakening implies becoming aware of something that's always been there.