Different Kinds of Therians

I won't lie, I question the importance of said terms as well. Besides, they've been repeated over and over again, listed everywhere you look, while they're technically just terms with a definition attached. I can agree that to some, the label of polytherian may hold significant meaning to them so they can use it once or twice for differentiation, but that's all there is to it. There's really no need to start fencing with all kinds of technicalities without discussing the contents.

I also agree that same theriotypes do not mesh well per definition. And I don't care about who it is I'm addressing neither, as long as they're showing genuine interest in talking with me. I like being involved in what's happening online. But topics that keep on coming back kinda miss the mark, though.

(2023-01-05 1:50)elinox Wrote:  No, they're not the same thing. Keep in mind both are outdated terms and have always been poorly understood.

Contherians don't experience shifts and claim to have their human side and animal side fully integrated (hence no shifting). Suntherians are always shifted to some degree.

There was another term, vacillant therian, which was the same as suntherian. It just never caught on like suntherian did.

That said, from what I've seen over the years in the community, therians are always shifted to some degree, it can just vary in strength.

But contherian, suntherian and vacillant therian are all outdated. Just stick with therian.

Ah I am guilty of using these terms recently when someone asked me privately about what it meant feeling like the kintype was as a more separate entity/mind verses feeling like you are the kintype itself. But also shared the sentiment that the terms didn't really matter that much, not to confuse oneself too much. Therian by any other name is therian. I wasn't quite aware it was considered outdated though so I'll remove it from my vocabulary now lol.

(2023-01-05 15:07)WolfThing Wrote:  

(2023-01-05 1:50)elinox Wrote:  No, they're not the same thing. Keep in mind both are outdated terms and have always been poorly understood.

Contherians don't experience shifts and claim to have their human side and animal side fully integrated (hence no shifting). Suntherians are always shifted to some degree.

There was another term, vacillant therian, which was the same as suntherian. It just never caught on like suntherian did.

That said, from what I've seen over the years in the community, therians are always shifted to some degree, it can just vary in strength.

But contherian, suntherian and vacillant therian are all outdated. Just stick with therian.

Ah I am guilty of using these terms recently when someone asked me privately about what it meant feeling like the kintype was as a more separate entity/mind verses feeling like you are the kintype itself. But also shared the sentiment that the terms didn't really matter that much, not to confuse oneself too much. Therian by any other name is therian. I wasn't quite aware it was considered outdated though so I'll remove it from my vocabulary now lol.

I'm not the terminology police.

If people still feel the need to use them, who am I to say no? I've just seen the confusion over what they actually mean for years so they don't seem to be useful for defining anything.

Also, the idea of existing on earth was pushed by some folks a few years back and caught on, but it was never what therianthropy was. It is a particular nit with me since I have been around and remember when JHIII (a wendigo) proposed the term on AHWW.

There was a panel at Othercon last year pretty much burying the idea with very exhaustive research.

(2023-01-06 13:57)BearX Wrote:  Also, the idea of existing on earth was pushed by some folks a few years back and caught on, but it was never what therianthropy was. It is a particular nit with me since I have been around and remember when JHIII (a wendigo) proposed the term on AHWW.

There was a panel at Othercon last year pretty much burying the idea with very exhaustive research.

I'm glad it was fought to allow people like me to be theriomythic at least. Just wish people would drop the notion of therians only being earthly animals.

(2023-01-06 13:57)BearX Wrote:  Also, the idea of existing on earth was pushed by some folks a few years back and caught on, but it was never what therianthropy was. It is a particular nit with me since I have been around and remember when JHIII (a wendigo) proposed the term on AHWW.

There was a panel at Othercon last year pretty much burying the idea with very exhaustive research.

only 20mins in, but it's already very informative and the history on the terms is so interesting. It's crazy how things have formed and changed over the years.

thanks for posting that lovely bit of information! answers perfectly my question of "can i be a dragon therian?" it was very helpful to me!

This is a great point of reference to have — with some very valuable commentary on the necessity of syntactical separation. I have a very difficult time remembering subcategories / sublabels; I’m sure I’ll have to revisit this.

(2023-06-21 23:26)indoraptor Wrote:  This is a great point of reference to have — with some very valuable commentary on the necessity of syntactical separation. I have a very difficult time remembering subcategories / sublabels; I’m sure I’ll have to revisit this.

Haha same! from time to time I do check this thread because I cant remember the definitions exactly, si I get cha! X3

Never knew contherian and suntherian were "outdated", just less frequently used. I guess some terms just fall into obscurity over time. Theriomythic is not used as often in the community from what I've seen.
I used to use suntherian but as it was also stated earlier here,I began feeling that many therians felt shifted in some way or another and the only thing that will change with that was the intensity of the shift.

However at a baseline, I never feel 100% human. I'm just thrown into human situations lol.