Help me name a Race? Humanoids with Animal features.

[Nikushimi]

Hey there! I am in need of help naming a homebrew race. There are many other races out there that follow similar traits, and I don't want to use the names that they have.

Basically, I don't want to be generic.

This race is based off of all those humanoids we see in many forms of fiction. They have Human or Elven features, but sport animal ears and tails. Often times even fur and or feathers. Sometimes scales and claws.

In anime they are often called Catgirl/boy, Fox Girl/boy, etc.

Also in the anime DanMachi where such animals are called Chienthrope (Dog ears and tails) and Boaz (Boar people). They also have Cow people who don't really have a classification.

In Final Fantasy you have the Viera (people with rabbit ears and such).

These are but a few examples of what I want to go for in my world.

I want to add a race such as this, but am having a hard time naming them.

So I am looking to the Homebrew Forum for some help with names.

I would like something that is an overarching name for all of them.

Some names I've though up are

1. Therians. Therian comes from Therianthrope which gets its roots from a Greek word meaning "Wild Animal" but is also used for people who believe in shapeshifting like lycanthropes and such.
2. Anthrope, but this is very close to Anthology and just means study of Humans. So...I got it by putting the "An" from "Animal" and then thrope.
3. Anithrope. Same as above, and so I'm unsure of it.

These are really the only names I could think of, and was hoping to find something unique. Either using the ending "-thrope" such as with Chienthrope, Lycanthrope, etc. Just cause I really think it helps get it across that they have animal in them, but I am open to other ideas.

I'd like it to be able to roll off the tongue easily, but honestly if something sounds good then I may take that up.

Your help and insight is appreciated. If you know ancient words such as Latin, Greek, or any kind of origins that can be used for it, let me know. Much appreciated!

P.s. Hope this was an appropriate question for this Homebrew forum.

[Enixon]

ever since seeing it in D20 modern I've always liked "Moreaus" as a name for animal people.

It's taken from The Island of Dr. Moreau novel so that might be a little on the nose for some people.

[Maat Mons]

In a homebrew I've never shared, I named mine "Kemonomimi (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kemonomimi)."

Bear in mind, "anthropos" is literally just the Greek word for "man." So it doesn't make any sense to use it here unless it's paired with a word that means "animal."

And, though you didn't mention it, in a similar vein, "were" is the Old English word for "man." So it too ceases to make sense if you take out the "wolf" part.

Edit: Forgot to add the link the first time around.

[Nikushimi]

ever since seeing it in D20 modern I've always liked "Moreaus" as a name for animal people.

It's taken from The Island of Dr. Moreau novel so that might be a little on the nose for some people. Yeah, I think I've heard of that book, but I don't think I ever read it so I think it would kinda go over the heads of my friends since I don't think they are ones to have read it, but maybe that's just me.


In a homebrew I've never shared, I named mine "Kemonomimi (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kemonomimi)."

Bear in mind, "anthropos" is literally just the Greek word for "man." So it doesn't make any sense to use it here unless it's paired with a word that means "animal."

And, though you didn't mention it, in a similar vein, "were" is the Old English word for "man." So it too ceases to make sense if you take out the "wolf" part.

Edit: Forgot to add the link the first time around.

I actually found this when searching for races similar to what I was thinking when I googled it. Though I'm not sure it was you who posted it. Kemonomimi (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Kemonomimi_(5e_Race)). Could have been though.

A bit of a hard word to say tbh for those not familiar with the pronunciation.

[Adamantrue]

MANIMAL!

OK, I guess not. I just couldn't resist.

In RWBY, they are called the Faunus. That is a more reasonable term to add to the list of possibilities.

But...Manimal. How can you not like it.

[Maat Mons]

No, those kemonomimi aren't mine. Not surprised that someone else used the term though. I can't be the only weabu out there.

I've been considering coining the term "fuzzies." It seems fitting since they're sort of like lite furries. But you know, more socially acceptable.

[InvisibleBison]

Are you looking for an exonym or an endonym? The names that have been suggested in this thread so far all sound like ways that these beings are different from humans, which makes me think that they'd be reasonable exonyms. An endonym, on the other hand, is trickier to come up with, as it would be rooted in these beings' language and culture, which we don't know about, but I can think of some general ideas. Perhaps they name themselves after a mythological or historical progenitor, or after an ancestral homeland. Or perhaps, leaning into the tendency of endonyms to be self-aggrandizing, they call themselves a word in their language that means "beautiful ones" or "complete ones", in contrast to all these animal-feature-lacking humans running around.

[rel]

I go with beastlings in my own homebrew.
I've heard the term animalia used for more traditional anthropomorphic animals .

[Maat Mons]

Some more possible roots:

Auris (ear, Latin)
Cauda (tail, Latin)
Chimera (hybrid, English)
Coda (tail, Latin)
Fera (animal, Latin)
Henge (shapeshifter, Japanese)
Hito (people, Japanese)
Ibrida (hybrid, Latin)
Migas (hybrid, Greek)
Yokai (spirit, Japanese)

[Adamantrue]

I still like Manimal...

Is there a specific shared origin to these beings? That could help with the naming process.