fchan

discussion

an·thro·po·mor·phism

Pages:1

1 Report	Mythil at 9 Mar 2006: 21:17 I know it's not really a big issue but I have to bring this up becuase it has been bugging me for many years. It seems a lot of furs band around the word "anthropomorphic", considering this to be a word invented only for furs.. This is not true, the meaning of the word anthropomorphic or anthropomorphism is "Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena." Other common examples of anthropomorphism inculde; Death, Jack Frost, The intellegent undead and so on and so forth. Please ladies and gentlemen, let's remember that it is a word for all to use and not specificly for furs. Keep smiling ;)
2 Report (sage)	at 9 Mar 2006: 21:48 The fandom can just as appropriately use the word zoomorphisn.
3 Report	at 9 Mar 2006: 23:21 I remember being in my high school Mythology class and my teacher and book using the word anthropomorphism. Technically the gods of polytheistic religions are anthropomorphic. Although it's pretty understandable why zoomorphism hasn't been adopted.
4 Report	Kumori Kitsune#99o3ns1eSo at 10 Mar 2006: 01:23 >>1 I'd like a few examples of these instances when furs 'consider anthropomorphic to be a word invented only for furs', because I haven't seen that happen. I've seen and heard furs use the word many times, but not once have I seen/heard one argue that it belongs to or was created for furs only. I believe the term is adopted by the fandom because it's the most accurate word in the english language to define furries (the creature, not the person). Therefor, its common use within the fandom is inevitable.
5 Report(capped) (sage)	Raven at 10 Mar 2006: 12:23 I personally prefer this term above all others for the specific reason that it's a real word.
6 Report	Kumori Kitsune#99o3ns1eSo at 10 Mar 2006: 18:17 >>5 Yes, I agree, and I meant to say "most accurate -real- word".
7 Report	at 10 Mar 2006: 22:43 Synonymous to personification, I believe.
8 Report	Kumori Kitsune#99o3ns1eSo at 10 Mar 2006: 23:10 >>7 Not quite. They're similar, but personification only gives human qualities to inanimate objects and abstractions (ideas and such), whereas anthropomorphism is "the attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena." Note that it includes animals, unlike personification. Therefor, anthropomorphism is more accurate.
9 Report (sage)	at 10 Mar 2006: 23:33 >>5 zoomorphism is a word :O
10 Report(capped) (sage)	Raven at 11 Mar 2006: 01:34 >>9 Yes, and a very weird one. One I've never heard used in any of my literary classes. Therefore, it does not count. :P
11 Report	Hunter Gryphon at 11 Mar 2006: 21:39 >>1 I've never heard anyone make such a claim that members of the furry fandom invented "anthropomorphism." And I've been a furry for going on 17 years now. In the meantime, are you perhaps suggesting that they're misusing the word? Finally, thanks for the reminder, though anyone paying attention in writing class would have known this before now. And I am smiling. Cheers!
12 Report	at 12 Mar 2006: 02:57 BTW, it should be an-thro-po-morph-ism ;)
13 Report	at 12 Mar 2006: 15:51 >>10 Zoomorphism attributes animal characteristics to another object, such as an automobile named Mustang or Cougar, or calling someone a pig / fox / skunk / dog etc. Most of furry fandom's character concepts are of people with animal identities and characteristics -- each species reflects a different kind of human personality, but they're all people and live as humans do (zoomorphic), rather than animals with human body structure and/or behavior and live in natural or semi-natural environments (anthropomorphic), though that's the other side of the same coin -- or other end of a sliding scale.
14 Report(capped) (sage)	Raven at 12 Mar 2006: 16:48 >>13 Not so. Everyone will give you a different definition of what the furry fandom is. So it depends on who you ask. Also, I think you're reading into it a little too much. Besides, I don't like using the word or prefix "zoo" in a furry context. The only time I'll use the word is in regards to a science or in conjunction with a city name.
15 Report (sage)	at 13 Mar 2006: 10:39 I generally would say "anthropomorphic animals" when describing some furry-type characters and art.
16 Report (sage)	at 13 Mar 2006: 18:03 >>14 I prefer definitions that are broad and inclusive, especially when defining what's "furry". Since there ae so many different facets to that, the one thing shared by all things furry is the concept of personalities with animal identities. I'm not suggesting zoomorphic is the preferable adjective to use, but it is applicable and accurate to describe animal-like [people]. Perhaps the "zoo" prefix implies a negative (bestial?) connotation to you? Are you reading too much into that? Anthropomoprhic is by far the more popular adjective, if a bit more of a mouthful to pronounce, to describe human-like [animals]. But both adjectives describe things that are "furry."
17 Report(capped) (sage)	Raven at 13 Mar 2006: 22:36 >>16 It's not what I read into it. It's what other people read into it. And Anthropomorphic is just more civilized sounding, anyway. ^-^
18 Add Reply	Name Sage? - = First Page - Last 40 - Entire Thread

Powered by: Shiichan Version 3956
The contents of this page are asserted to be in the public domain by the posters.
The administrators claim no responsibility for thread content.
Manage