Terms

This page is a directory for all system-related terms used on this wiki. If you're ever confused about a term, please refer to this page for its definition. Also please note that *every system is different*, so these terms are defined for *our system specifically*. We are in no way a spokesperson for every system. This page may expand as time goes on since we may forget terms or need to define something else.

### **Definitions**

#### **General Terms**

* **System -** This term refers to the collective consciousness.
* **Singlet -** Someone who is not a system or member of one.
* **Headmate -** This term refers to a member of a system. Also known as alter, sysmate, etc. This term is largely up to personal preference. We prefer headmate or sysmate, but we also affectionately refer to members of our system as "pips" due to that term being what the individual pieces of a chocolate bar are called.
* **Introject -** This term refers to any members who formed due to outside influence or were heavily influenced by such.
* **Headspace -** This term, also known as mindscape, inworld, etc., refers to the inner world, where headmates live and exist when not fronting. Some systems do not have these, but ours does so we will use this term frequently. Every system's headspace is different and unique to them with how it looks, functions, the size, etc.
* **Exomemory -** Exomemories are memories specific to certain headmates. They're memories of their life before they were in the system. These memories did not happen to the body/system as a collective and not all headmates have exomemories.
* **Traumagenic -** This is an origin description word. There are many of them, but we'll only list the ones we use either for ourselves or on this wiki for other purposes. Traumagenic refers to the system's origin stemming from trauma of some sort.
* **Endogenic -** This is an umbrella origin term that refers to systems whose origins aren't primarily linked to trauma/aren't stemmed from trauma at all.
* **Quoigenic -** An origin term that means that the system in reference doesn't necessarily care what their origins really are.
* **Mixed Origins -** This is pretty self-explanatory. It's an origin term that means the system in reference has more than one origin. For example, some members may have formed due to trauma and some did not.
* **Polyfragmented -** There is some debate about the true definition of this word, but as we said, we only speak for our system and this is what it means for us. This, in reference to our system, simply means there are 100+ members.
* **OSDD-1b -** Other Specified Dissociative Disorder, or OSDD, is a clinical term used when a system is formed due to a dissociative disorder. It's one of two terms used, the other being DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder. There are two forms of OSDD, 1a and 1b. We aren't very certain about 1a, so we'll only talk about 1b since that's the one we have. The main difference between DID and OSDD that we know of is that OSDD doesn't usually have much, if any, dissociative amnesia. Also please note: Systems do NOT need to have or be diagnosed with OSDD or DID to be a system. Not all systems are formed due to dissociative disorders.

#### **Role Terms**

Please note that these terms are defined for our system only. These may have different definitions for other systems. Some of these roles are also exclusive to our system only.

* **Co-Host/Host -** A member who fronts most of the time, fronts for daily life responsibilities, etc.
* **Protector -** A member who comes to front when the system/current fronter feels threatened, unsafe, afraid, etc. There are many different types of protectors, such as physical, emotional, sexual, etc.
* **Caretaker -** A member whose primary responsibility is caring for other headmates. This can mean littles, specific other headmates, or just the system in general
* **Regressor -** An adult member who regresses in age. This can be anywhere between little to teenage ages.
* **Age-slider -** A member whose age slides between a set bracket (eg. 13-23)
* **Gatekeeper -** A member who primarily manages the intake of newly formed members. For us, they can also dictate who fronts or who needs to be in front for certain reasons/occasions. This isn't usually needed, but is still applicable in some instances.
* **Guardian -** A member who is primarily responsible for the well-being of members in headspace. Like a protector, but for internal situations.
* **Internal Self Helper -** A member who acts as a therapist, in a way, for members of the system. They try their best to be helpful, are usually very emotionally intelligent and are often good at problem solving.
* **Trauma Holder -** A member who holds most, if not all, the traumatic memories that the system experienced collectively.
* **Persecutor -** A member who starts out holding misguided beliefs about how to keep the system safe. They are not bad or evil and most of the time, they can be rehabilitated to unlearn their misguided beliefs and learn more productive ones to help the system function.
* **Enforcer -** A member who enforces the system's boundaries, both inworld and outworld, be it physical or social.
* **Archivist -** A member whose primary responsibility is to store daily memories. Ours also have a lot of ominiscient control over headspace.
* **Organizer -** A member who works with an archivist very closely in reporting changes in headspace and other headmates, noting important things to report back and keeps headspace functional with repairs.
* **Fictive -** This is a term that refers to a headmate who is an introject from a source that is considered to be fiction of some form. For example, a video game, a movie, a book, etc.
* **Non-Human -** A member who is not human.
* **Little -** A member who is a child ten years of age or younger. They are not a regressor or an age-slider. They are always a child. We are very protective of our littles and have certain rules people must follow when interacting with them.
* **Middle -** A member who is above the age of ten, but under the age of eighteen. Pre-teen to teenage.
* **Famtive -** A term coined by our system. It refers to a member who formed with a pre-existing familial relationship to another headmate, such as a child, a sibling, a parent, etc.