A work-in-progress page for all therianthropic terms. It will be subject to updates as time progresses and terms become outdated or new terms arise.
Core terms[]
- Awakening - when a therian discovers their therianthropic identity, the experience can be different for every therian
- Therianthrope - someone who involuntarily identifies as a non-human animalistic creature (the term is commonly shortened down to 'therian')
- Therianthropy - the term used to refer to an intrinsic experience surrounding and explaining one's therian identity
- Theriotype - the term used to refer to the non-human creature a therian identifies as
- Theta-Delta - the symbol used to represent all therianthropes
Therian identity subcategories[]
- Cambitherian - a therianthrope whose identity fluctuates between therian and animalhearted or, more broadly, otherkin and otherhearted
- Cladotherian - a therianthrope who does not identify as a distinct species, but instead feels a broader identity encompassing an entire clade
- Contherian - a therianthrope who doesn't experience mental shifts, but is always in a state of both theriotype and human, they can still experience non-mental shifts
- Fictherian - a therianthrope whose theriotype is an animal from a fictional source
- Genutherian - a therianthrope who identifies as every animal from a genus
- Holothere - a therianthrope who physically identifies as their theriotype, but recognises that they're perceived as human
- Omnitherian - a therianthrope who identifies as every animal
- Paleotherian - a therianthrope whose theriotype is an extinct
- Pluritherian - a therianthrope who identifies as two or more (but not all) animals from a genus
- Polymorph - a therianthrope whose theriotype/theriotypes are constantly changing
- Polytherian - a therianthrope who has more than one theriotype
- Suntherian - a therianthrope whose therioside is integrated into their baseline/normal personality
- Theriomythic - a therianthrope who identifies as a creature that's considered mythical or an urban legend
- Vacillant therianthropy - a subcategory of therianthropy where a therian experiences shifts like they're on a sliding scale, instead of like a switch being flicked
Shifts[]
How a shift starts[]
- Involuntary shift - a shift that occurs without will or conscious control. This can take the form of any shift
- Voluntary shift - a shift that occurs due to being consciously induced. This can take the form of any shift
Shifts that can occur in several ways[]
- Auditory shift - a shift that is caused by a sound that a therian notices around them. This can take the form of any shift
- Cameo shift - a shift where a therian experiences feeling like an animalistic creature that is not a known theriotype. This can take the form of any shift
- Emotional shift - a shift that is caused due to a strong emotion a therian experiences. This can take the form of any shift
- Empathy shift - a shift where a therian has a shift caused by another therian/non-human expressing that they are experiencing their own shift. This is a subcategory of cameo shift, and can take the form of any shift
- Koita shift - when a therian experiences a cameo shift of an animal they see, this can be a picture or in real life. This is a subcategory of cameo shift, and can take the form of any shift
- Meridio shift - when a therian has a cameo shift caused by a strong connection with another therian, only when in close vicinity of each other. These shifts end when the two therians are no longer in the same vicinity and normally take the form of mental or phantom shifts
Shifts that only occur in one way[]
- Astral shift - a therians astral body separates from their physical body and travels to the astral plane, where it shifts to the form of their theriotype
- Aura shift - when the shape or form of a therian's auric field/life energy field changes to their theriotype
- Berserker shift - a therian experiences extremely strong emotions that cause them to push away their human side, including empathy and logical decision-making
- Bilocation shift - when a therian appears in two locations simultaneously, their double appears in the form of their theriotype on the physical plane. There is no scientific proof that this type of shift is possible
- Dream shift - a shift where a therian becomes their theriotype within a dream, either partially or entirely
- Envisage shift/self-image shift - where a therian's mental image/awareness of themselves changes to closely reflect their theriotype, this is commonly experienced through a therian viewing themselves in 3rd person and seeing their theriotypes limbs on themself
- Mental shift - a therian experiences a change in mindset, causing them to think and act more like their theriotype
- Perception shift - a shift that causes a therian to perceive things in a way that their theriotype would, this is similar to a mental shift
- Phantom shift - a shift where a therian feels supernumerary phantom limbs of their theriotype on themself (this can be in the form of ears, a tail, feathers/fur, or any other limbs someone's theriotype has)
- Physical shift - when a therian's human body transforms into the physical shape of their theriotype, this form of shifting is agreed to be impossible
- Sensory shift - where a therian's senses change to become more like their theriotypes
- Shadow shift/ghost shift - a shift where a therian sees their theriotype form around them as a transparent apparition, this shift has also been (and can be) used for when a therian's shadow changes to have characteristics more like their theriotype
- Spiritual shift - a therian's spirit takes on the form or shape of their theriotype, while their physical body remains unchanged
- Immersive shift - a shift where a therian feels sensations and urges stronger than usual, this form of shift is incredibly similar to mental shifts
Current terms[]
Adding more later
- Humanside - a term that refers to the human/physical body of a therian, it is the opposite of 'therioside'
- Therioside - a term that refers to the non-human and more animalistic side of a therian, it is the opposite of 'humanside', and replaced the term 'wereside'
Defunct terms[]
- Awere - a term that was used to describe when someone recognises and accepts their therian identity, it is the same as what we now consider to be an 'awakening'
- Homesickness - a term that was used to refer to the feeling of discomfort and disconnection a therian felt from their human body, the term was replaced with 'species dysphoria'
- Phenotype - a term that was used to refer to the animal a therian identifies as, the term was replaced by 'theriotype'
- Were - a term that was used to describe any were-creature (werecat, werebear, werebat, etc.), it was also used to refer to a non-human. The term 'therian' began to become more popular at the start of the century, but the term 'were' is still used by parts of the community to this day
- Wereside - a term that was used to refer to the non-human creature a therian identifies as, it was replaced with 'therioside'