mellérendel

Mellérendel is a term used in speculative fiction and, in some linguistic discussions, to denote a transitional relational state that connects two domains, states, or spaces. In most uses, mellérendel describes a mediating link or bridge that persists between phases rather than within a single phase, enabling transfer, communication, or exchange across a boundary.

Origin and usage: The word is a neologism formed in contemporary worldbuilding and academic writings; there is no single historical etymology. It is often treated as a compound combining elements interpreted as 'middle' and 'relation' or 'bond', and its precise meaning varies by author and context.

In literature and games, mellérendel is commonly invoked to describe rituals, artifacts, or phenomena that enable a passage between realms or states—such as between life and death, waking and dream, or different social spheres.

Worldbuilding and theory: Some writers treat mellérendel as a formalized mechanism in a magic system; others use it as a sociological concept to describe transitional roles in rites of passage or governance structures.

Relation to liminality: The concept overlaps with the anthropological idea of liminality, though mellérendel often emphasizes a functional bridge rather than a mere state of in-between.

See also: liminality; rite of passage; mediation; threshold; interrealm link.