Definition
A mythical or fictional creature that is a human who can transform into a wolf, often depicted in horror stories and folklore.
Etymology
A compound of Old English 'wulf' (wolf) and 'man,' combining two ancient words to describe a hybrid creature that blends human and animal natures.
Kelly Says
The wolfman archetype appears across cultures—from Norse mythology's shape-shifters to Native American skin-walkers—suggesting something deep in human imagination has always been fascinated by the idea of transformation and losing control.
Translations
ARالعربية
رجل ذئب
rijal dhi'b
BNবাংলা
রক্তবর্ণ
rok-to-bor-n
CACatalà
home-llop
ho-meh-lo-p
CSČeština
vlkodlak
vl-ko-dlak
DADansk
ulvemand
ul-ve-mand
DEDeutsch
Werwolf
ver-vulf
ELΕλληνικά
λύκος άνθρωπος
loo-kos an-thro-pos
ESEspañol
hombre lobo
om-breh LO-boh
FAفارسی
گرگینه
ger-gi-neh
FISuomi
susi-mies
su-si-mies
FRFrançais
loup-garou
loo-gar-roo
HEעברית
זאב אנושי
z-av an-o-shi
HIहिन्दी
भेड़िया
bhe-ree-ya
HUMagyar
farkas ember
far-kas em-ber
IDBahasa Indonesia
serigala manusia
se-ri-ga-la man-u-sia
ITItaliano
uomo lupo
oo-moh LOO-poh
KO한국어
늑대인간
neuk-de-in-gan
MSBahasa Melayu
serigala manusia
se-ri-ga-la man-u-sia
MYမြန်မာ
တိရစ္ဆာန်
ti-yars-sa-an
NLNederlands
wolvenmens
vol-ven-menz
NONorsk
ulvemann
ul-ve-mann
PLPolski
wilkołak
vil-ko-lak
PTPortuguês
homem-lobo
oh-m-en-LOH-boh
RUРусский
оборотень
oh-bo-rot-en
SWKiswahili
mwanasimba
mwa-na-sim-ba
TAதமிழ்
நாய் மனிதன்
nay man-i-than
TEతెలుగు
పులి మనిషి
pu-li ma-ni-shi
TRTürkçe
kurt adam
kurt ah-dam
VITiếng Việt
người sói
ngoo-soi
YOYO
ọmọ ẹlẹ́dà
o-mo eh-leh-da
ZUZU
inkanyamba
in-ka-nya-mba
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Masculine default in creature/character naming. 'Wolfman' assumes male identity; female variants require explicit 'wolfwoman' marker, revealing androcentric language convention where male is unmarked, female is marked.
Inclusive Usage
Use gender-neutral 'werewolf' or 'wolf-shifter' when identity is not essential to narrative. If gendered form is necessary, pair symmetrically: 'wolfman/wolfwoman' or use 'they/them' for unknown identity.
Inclusive Alternatives
["werewolf","wolf-shifter","lycanthrope"]