Apparently, back in the early 90s, when the internet was still a dial-up mystery and forums were the wild west of niche interests, a mailing list called "Elfinkind Digest" was the place to be for those who felt a kinship with pointy-eared forest dwellers. But, as often happens when a good thing gets too popular, the elves were soon overrun. Dragons, orcs, and presumably a few grumpy goblins started showing up, demanding their own linguistic real estate.

Thus, in a stroke of what can only be described as pragmatic genius (or perhaps just weary resignation), the terms "otherkind" and then the ever-so-slightly more palatable "otherkin" were coined. Because, really, who wants to be stuck calling themselves "dragonkind" when everyone else gets to be neatly categorized under an umbrella term? It's a true testament to humanity's (or, you know, otherkin-ity's) need for efficient labeling, even when said labels are for identifying as a mystical creature. So next time you hear the term "otherkin," remember its humble, elf-centric beginnings and the sheer inconvenience that led to its creation.