As a verb, to turn means to move around a point or change direction. As a noun, a turn is one person’s chance to do something, or a change in direction or situation.
From Old English "tyrnan" and Old French "torner," both from Latin "tornare" meaning to turn on a lathe or round off. It originally described circular motion and gradually extended to many kinds of change.
English recycles "turn" everywhere: you turn a page, turn 15 years old, and a story takes a dark turn—all built on the idea of changing direction. That’s why "turning point" feels so powerful: it hints that your whole life path is rotating onto a new track.
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