consortism

English

Etymology

consort +‎ -ism

Noun

consortism (uncountable)

1. (biology) A close, prolonged association between two or more organisms of different species.
   • 1884, Worthington George Smith, Diseases of Field and Garden Crops: Chiefly Such as are Caused by Fungi:

     Our reply is : — It may possibly be a mere state of consortism — another of the many familiar instances of two diverse organisms being found in company.

   • 1911, Francis Rolt-Wheeler, The Fact Book, page 966:

     The alga, on the contrary, derives a definite advantage from its consortism with the fungus, receiving from it inorganic substances and water, and possibly organic substances also.

   • 2017, V.K. Agarwal, Zoology for Degree Students, →ISBN:

     Consortism is classified into four types according to the benefit derived by the consortes: 1. If it is voluntary with mutual benefit but not asymmetrical or damaging to either consorte, it is mutualism. 2. Commensalism is a voluntary asymmetrical consortism in which one organism is benefited with no appreciable benefit or damage to the partner. 3. Parasitism is an involuntary consortism with progressive asymmetrical damage to one for the benefit of the other. 4. Predation is a nonsymbiotic consortism with damage to one for the benefit of the other.

2. (India) The relationship between consorts.
   • 1996, Harsha V. Dehejia, The Advaita of art, page 165:

     Nowhere in the Vaisnava artistic tradition does one find the kind of representation of divine consortism that occurs in the Śaiva tradition, and based on this alone it is possible to assert that divine consortism in the Vaisnava tradition does not reflect the praka-śavimarśa aspect of consciousness which is a central feature of Śiva-Śakti art.

   • 2001, Neeta Yadav, Ardhanārīśvara in Art and Literature, →ISBN, page 142:

     The consortism of Śiva and Pārvatī is a perfect artistic model of Kāśmīr Śaivism which ultimately leads to the ānanda of aesthetic realisatiton.

   • 2003, Bikash Kumar Bhattacharya, Tārā in Hinduism: Study with Textual and Iconographical Documentation, →ISBN, page 32:

     The sexual rite of the fertility cult of the 'archaic' Tantrism transformed into spiritual Tantrism as Śivaism and Vișņuism; also developed the philosophical concepts of consortism or dualism of Śańkhya — purușa and prakŗti — having close affinity with Taoist yan and ying.