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So what I’m arguing for is having a start-of-item token. Like this: ・1 ・2 ・3. Do we need to point an end of last token? As we’ll see next, that’s usually not the case.

We have a special word for end-of-item token: terminator, but no startinator or any similar word. I see some irony in this.

Maybe "introducer"?




"initiator" is the inverse of "terminator".


Isn't the more common word "starter"?


"Starter" appears to have more dynamic/active connotations, where initiates and terminates has those same meanings but also seems to have a passive meaning matching terminator. But really, the terms are similar enough that my only reason for opting for "initiator" was the symmetry which extends to related words (e.g. initial/terminal, initiate/terminate)




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