küszöbök

küszöbök are the Hungarian term for thresholds, referring both to physical and metaphorical transitional points. Physically, a threshold is a solid strip or edge that separates different levels or surfaces, such as the strip at the entrance of a room or the lip of a staircase. In construction, thresholds play a role in insulation, ensuring temperature stability by minimizing drafts and controlling the passage of moisture between indoor and outdoor environments. They are also designed to accommodate changes in flooring materials, preventing uneven wear or gaps in the transition between two surfaces.

Metaphorically, a küszöb is a point of change or decision in life and society, such as the threshold of adulthood, the threshold of a new era, or the threshold between different stages of learning. In psychology, thresholds are used to describe the minimal stimulus required to trigger a perceptual or neural response. The concept also appears in economics, where a market threshold denotes the volume or price level that must be reached for a new trend to appear.

Because thresholds constitute a point of contact, they are relevant in architecture, civil engineering, product design, cultural studies and many other disciplines. Understanding their functional design and symbolic meaning helps professionals in multiple fields address both practical needs, such as safety and comfort, and conceptual goals, such as transition and transformation.