From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Etymology
TERF + -en
Adjective
terven (comparative more terven , superlative most terven )
( Internet slang ) Characteristic of, related to, or espousing gender-critical or trans-exclusionary feminism .
2018 April 26, Pidge (but evil) (@radfempidge), Twitter [1] :Happy #ldov [Lesbian Day of Visibility] to all them terven ladies and deffos no[sic ] to males UwU
2019 June 3, Roo B. (@roo_b_boy), Twitter [2] :There are those of the terven persuasion in my mentions and I have exactly no energy to deal today.
2020 August 28, terfery is afoot (@gynosupremacist), Twitter [3] :Hi gyns!! I'm a terven artist who makes radfem-themed patches!!
For more quotations using this term, see Citations:terven .
Noun
terven (countable and uncountable , plural tervens )
( Internet slang , countable ) A gender-critical or trans-exclusionary feminist .
Synonyms: FART ( derogatory ) , GC , GCF , gendercrit , gendercritter ( derogatory ) , TERF
2019 September 7, coffee spoons (@coffeespoons3), Twitter [4] :Any US radfems in the New England area? Watching with envy all the U.K. tervens getting to meet up
2022 May 4, Roo B. (@roo_b_boy), Twitter [5] :Hey friends there's a few tervens who are harrasing[sic ] this incredibly important binder fund aimed at the GRT community,
2022 June 12, Wild Womyn Workshop (@Wild_Womyn), Twitter [6] :Tervens ! I hope u all had a lovely weekend!
For more quotations using this term, see Citations:terven .
( Internet slang , uncountable ) Gender-critical or trans-exclusionary feminists collectively.
2020 August 18, Maya Forstater (@MForstater), Twitter [7] :I gots data (at least for UK Terven )
2020 December 15, Max has Nightmare Eyes (@chaoticgaythey), Twitter [8] :Because terven don't actually care about women's rights or equality
2022 June 16, Kara Dansky (@KDansky), Twitter [9] :Request, terven and allies. I'm looking for articles written by lesbians and gay men arguing that "queer" is still a homophobic slur.
For more quotations using this term, see Citations:terven .
Usage notes
This term is used by both critics and supporters of gender-critical/trans-exclusionary feminism.
The uncountable sense is usually plural (e.g., “those terrible terven”, “the terven are , “any terven know ”, “the terven have added”), but is also attested as singular (e.g., “what the terven thinks ”).