terminabaterminava

Terminabaterminava is a coined term in discourse analysis and experimental literature used to describe a rhetorical and morpho-syntactic device in which a clause boundary is blurred by the concatenation of forms that express termination and initiation. The term functions as a portmanteau of the Spanish/Portuguese verb forms terminar: “termina” and “terminava,” illustrating simultaneous endings and beginnings within a single linguistic unit. It is discussed mainly in analyses of contemporary digital rhetoric and bilingual prose, where boundary crossing between tenses and moods is more common.

Uses and characteristics: The device typically appears as a single word or a hyphenless compound, sometimes inserted at a clause boundary to signal a transition that is both concluded and reopened. It can serve rhythmic, affective, or clarifying purposes, emphasizing continuity amid change. Although still emergent, it has been noted in studies of multilingual discourse and experimental poetry.

Examples: 1) El capítulo llega a su final, terminabaterminava dejando abierta la posibilidad de una secuela. 2) La conversación terminó en silencio; terminabaterminava la idea de que todo continúa en otro plano.

See also: portmanteau, chiasmus, discourse markers, stylistic device.