Mellemistider

Mellemistider is a term found in Norwegian-language discourse that refers to transitional periods between phases, events, or states. The word is built from mellom ('between') and tider ('times'), emphasizing a span where change is underway but not yet complete. In scholarly and practical contexts, mellemistider describe intervals characterized by negotiation, adaptation, and reorganization rather than decisive endings or beginnings.

Used across disciplines such as history, cultural studies, urban planning, and economics, the concept helps explain how actors manage uncertainty, maintain continuity, and plan for subsequent developments. Examples include the post-conflict or post-reform period between major upheavals, the patchwork phase of urban redevelopment between planning approval and project completion, or the lull between technological adoption and full market saturation.

Because it is not a formal technical term in most fields, its meaning depends on context and is often metaphorical. Related terms include transitional period, interstice, interregnum, or interim phase. The concept highlights the social temporality of change and can illuminate gaps in data, policy, or practice.