therianthrope

Etymology

From Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”) + Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man”).

noun

1. (mythology) Any mythical being which is part human, part animal.
   Among the depictions are a black rhinoceros, the body of an antelope covered by a red line, two white animals with black stripes that may be zebras, and a therianthrope. The therianthrope (Figure 9.11) appears to have a feline body with human hind legs that may have been added after the original legs had faded somewhat (Wendt 1974:27). 2016, Carmel Schrire, Past and Present in Hunter Gatherer Studies, Routledge
   One appears to have a large beak while another has an appendage resembling a tail. In the language of archaeology, these are therianthropes, or characters that embody a mix of human and animal characteristics. […] The otherworldly nature of the therianthropes also raises the possibility that they are mythical beings, or manifestations of “animal spirit helpers” that are common in shamanic beliefs, according to the study. 2019-12-11, Becky Ferreira, “Mythical Beings May Be Earliest Imaginative Cave Art by Humans”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
2. (sometimes furry fandom slang) Someone with an intense spiritual or psychological identification as a non-human animal.
   Therianthropes don't feel a need to dress in fursuits, because they believe they already are their animal, inside.
   Another is that I myself identify as Otherkin—a wolf therianthrope, to be exact—and I find this particular subculture to be absolutely fascinating. 2007-04-20, Lupa, A Field Guide to Otherkin, 1st edition, Stafford: Megalithica Books, page 18