elnyelt

Elnyelt is a fictional term used in speculative fiction to describe a process by which matter or energy is absorbed, swallowed, or enveloped by an external force, field, or phenomenon. An elnyelt event typically results in the rapid diminishment of the target’s observable presence, sometimes leaving only distortions in the surrounding environment.

The term is a constructed neologism within its settings, with no basis in real-world science. In various works, it is given different origins—sometimes attributed to a mysterious ancient language, other times presented as a technical designation for a specific kind of interaction between matter and a pervasive field.

Depictions of elnyelt differ widely. In some narratives it is a reversible interaction that erases only surface properties before the object reappears; in others it is effectively permanent and irreversible. Explanations range from exotic physics, such as energy transfer into higher-dimensional space, to metaphysical erasure where identity and information are wiped. The concept is often used to create hazard, mystery, or a sense of helplessness in explorers or witnesses.

Because elnyelt operates at the boundary between science fiction and fantasy, it frequently serves as a world-building tool to explore themes of consumption, memory, or the fragility of presence. It is commonly associated with regions or devices that produce or attract the elnyelt field, such as rifts, void engines, or ancient monuments.

Related concepts include absorption, engulfment, disappearance, and phenomena such as black-hole analogues.