Glossary & Terms

Alterhuman - Broad umbrella term for anyone who experiences being other than typically human, including therians, otherkin, and plurals.

Awakening - The moment a therian first recognizes or acknowledges their non-human identity.

Cameo shift - A shift involving an animal that is NOT your theriotype. Temporary and not indicative of a new identity.

Cladotherian - A therian who identifies with an entire taxonomic group (like “canine” or “feline”) rather than a specific species.

Contherian - A therian whose animal identity is constant rather than fluctuating through distinct shifts. Their animal self is always “on” to some degree.

Fictherian - Someone who identifies as a fictional animal species (e.g., a Pokémon or dragon).

Gear - Physical items worn to express therian identity: masks, tails, ears, paw gloves. Often handmade from faux fur.

Greymuzzle - A respected, long-time member of the therian community, typically 40+ with significant contributions. The “elders.”

Howl - A real-life therian meetup or gathering.

Lycanthropy - The older, narrower term for wolf-specific therianthropy. Now mostly used in folklore/clinical contexts.

Mental shift (M-shift) - A shift in mindset toward your theriotype's thought patterns and instincts.

Otherkin - Those who identify as non-human but not specifically as real-world animals (e.g., elves, dragons, fae).

Paleotherian - A therian whose theriotype is an extinct animal (dinosaur, mammoth, etc.).

Phantom shift (Ph-shift) - Feeling non-physical body parts of your theriotype (phantom tail, ears, wings).

Polytherian - A therian with multiple theriotypes.

Quadrobics / Quads - Moving on all fours as exercise, expression, or shift aid. A major 2024–2026 trend.

Sensory shift - Perceived heightening or changes in senses during a shift.

Species dysphoria - Distress caused by the mismatch between human body and animal identity.

Suntherian - Similar to contherian; the theriotype is a constant base with fluctuations in intensity.

Therian - A person who identifies as a non-human animal on a deep psychological, emotional, or spiritual level.

Therianthropy - The experience or state of being a therian. From Greek thēríon + ánthrōpos.

Theriomythic - A therian whose theriotype is a mythological animal (e.g., phoenix, griffin).

Theriotype - The specific animal a therian identifies as.

Theta-Delta (ΘΔ) - The universal therian symbol, created in 2003. Theta = therian, Delta = change/shifts.

Varitherian - A therian whose theriotype is fluid, shifting between different animals over time.

Werelist, The - Historically significant therian forum (early 2000s) where much community culture was established.