[Ads-l] therianthrope

[Barretts Mail]

Interesting word!

World Wide Words (http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-the2.htm <http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-the2.htm>) provides this basic definition.

Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/therianthrope <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/therianthrope>) and Urban Dictionary (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Therianthrope <https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Therianthrope>, 2004) point out that this is also a spiritual identification that some people have (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherkin <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherkin>). Wiktionary gives “therian” as a synonym for the otherkin meaning. 

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therianthropy <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therianthropy>) discusses the mythological, religious, psychiatric (clinical lycanthropy) and otherkin uses of “therianthropy.” 

Benjamin Barrett (he/him/his)
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 12 Dec 2019, at 10:30, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Not in OED:
> 
> 2019
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/earliest-recorded-story-found-44-094941826.html
> :
> “The humans there, they are not fully human: One has a tail, then others
> may have some sort of bird head or something. I think it’s probably
> something that didn’t really exist. ...
> 
> “The images of therianthropes [animal-human figures] at Leang Bulu’ Sipong
> 4 may also represent the earliest evidence for our capacity to conceive of
> things that do not exist in the natural world, a basic concept that
> underpins modern religion,” Professor Brumm said.


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