Skinwalkers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Beings from certain Native American legends believed to have the power to transform into animals or other humans
2. Characters in Native American mythology thought to possess the supernatural ability to change their form at will
3. Entities in indigenous stories who can shift their appearance from human to various animal shapes

Etymology: Among the Navajo, these figures are usually called "yee naaldlooshii," which roughly means "with it, it goes on all fours." The English "skinwalker" is a calque, a word-for-word translation built from "skin," for the animal hide the sorcerer is said to wear, and "walker," for the one who moves in it. Because speaking about these beings is considered dangerous or taboo in Navajo tradition, outsiders encountered the English term more often than the original. The English word appears in print in the twentieth century, mostly in accounts written by outsiders and later in popular media, though the belief behind it is much older. "Skinwalkers" is simply the plural of this compound noun.

Synonyms: shapeshifters, witches