Lycan
/ˈlaɪ.kən/noun
A werewolf; a person or creature that transforms into a wolf.
Did you know?“Lycan” comes from the same Greek root as Lycaon, the mythic king turned into a wolf, which helped make wolf-shapeshifting feel like a cursed, ancient affliction.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λύκος (lýkos)
“wolf”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λυκάνθρωπος (lykánthrōpos)
“wolf-man, werewolf”
Late Greek
Greek
λυκανθρωπία (lykanthrōpía)
“werewolfism, wolf-man condition”
19th Century
English
lycanthrope
“a werewolf; a person believed to transform into a wolf”
20th Century
English
lycan
“a werewolf”