paluukhylsyllä

Paluukhylsyllä is a neologism used to describe a cyclical refrain in Finnish-language verse. The term is not part of standard Finnish lexicon and is primarily encountered in speculative or fictional contexts, poetry games, and discussions about poetics.

Origin and naming: The name is a constructed compound inspired by Finnish roots related to returning and looping. It intentionally combines familiar phonemes to evoke a sense of repetition and circularity. No authoritative etymology exists outside its use in literature; the term's meaning is defined by its function rather than by historical usage.

Definition and characteristics: Paluukhylsyllä denotes a technique in which a final or repeated syllable or line evokes an earlier line, creating a loop that reinforces a theme or mood. It blends aspects of refrain, echo, and palilogy, but with emphasis on a return to an earlier segment rather than a straight repetition of a word.

Usage: The device appears in experimental Finnish verse, folk-inspired storytelling, and online micro-poetry prompts. It is used to suggest memory, cyclical time, or the inescapable return of a thought. Because it is a constructed concept, examples vary; one imagined instance is: "Alku on loppu, loppu on alku. Alku on loppu, loppu on alku." Another: "Yö seuraa päivää, päivää seuraa yö."

See also: palilogy, refrain, echo poetry, cyclical literature.