basal vs liminal

basal

adj
  • Basic, elementary; relating to, or forming, the base, or point of origin. 

  • In a phylogenetic tree, being a group, or member of a group, which diverged earlier. The earliest clade to branch in a larger clade. 

  • Associated with the base of an organism or structure. 

  • Of a minimal level that is necessary for maintaining the health or life of an organism. 

noun
  • base, bottom, minimum 

  • Any basal structure or part 

liminal

adj
  • Of or pertaining to a beginning or first stage of a process. 

  • Of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold. 

How often have the words basal and liminal occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )