NY Times on Avant-Garde Russian Art Collection in Nukuz, Uzbekistan

[Luciano Di Cocco]

Of course for what a word feels the opinion of a native speaker is decisive.
FWIW, in Italian there is a traditional word for shape-shifters,
"proteiforme" (relatively high language). Only an adjective, not a noun. It
was used mainly for Greco-roman deities and demon. If I had to translate the
term in Italian probably I'd have used "essere proteiforme" (*proteiformic
being). In Italian in an immigration context it can have both a sub-human
and a demonic sense. I think Northern League (an Italian xenophobic party)
would like the definition, so I think it would be all right in Italian.

"Mutaforma" as a translation of shape shifter has appeared in Italy first in
SF narrative, then in comic books, and recently in TV series (mainly
X-Files). "Mutaforma" being both adjective and a noun in Italian is shorter,
but an adjective as proteiforme has the advantage that you can associate it
not with "human" but with "being". Possibly even in English can be useful to
use an adjective instead of a noun to associate it with something not
clearly human (maybe being) to convey a sense of not full humanity.

Of course it's only the feeling of a non native speaker.

Luciano Di Cocco

> FWIW, "shape-shifter" is also used on the HBO series /True Blood/ (and
> in the original Charlaine Harris books) for entities such as
> werewolves.
> These don't feel very sci-fi to me, they're more in the
> fantasy/paranormal realm.
> 
> <http://true-blood.net/2009/07/20/what-is-shape-shifting/>
> 
> "... Shape shifting is the act of causing transformation of one body
> into another. In the world of mythology, Werewolves and Vampires are
> both creatures who can shift their shape. But Shape shifting has its
> roots in shamanism, a form of spiritualism that causes the shaman or
> priest/ess to take on the spirit of the animal or being needed for a
> ritual, thus changing their shape. ..."

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