liminal

Etymology: Latin limin-, limen threshold

Date:1884

1 : of or relating to a sensory threshold

2 : barely perceptible

3 : of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional

• in the liminal state between life and death — Deborah Jowitt

... http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liminal

adjective:

1. At an intermediate state.

2. At the threshold of consciousness.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin limen (threshold).

USAGE:

"Jolted is funny and smart and fast paced. And it's written with real love for that fascinating liminal creature called the young teenager, for whom the sky is always just about to fall."

Tim Wynne-Jones; Electrifying; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 13, 2008.

... http://wordsmith.org/words/liminal.html