turn
turn
UK[tɜːn]US[tɜːrn]
v
to move or cause to move in a circular direction around a central point
v
to change direction or position so as to face or go in a different way
v
to change in nature, state, form, or color; become
n
an act of turning something around a central point
n
a time when one person does something after another in a scheduled order
n
a change in circumstances, trend, or condition
Etymology
The verb 'turn' originates from the Old English 'tyrnan' and 'turnian', which meant "to rotate, revolve." These were borrowed from the Latin 'tornare', meaning "to polish, round off, turn on a lathe," itself derived from 'tornus', a lathe, from the Greek 'tornos', meaning "lathe, tool for drawing circles." The semantic journey is from the concrete, physical action of shaping wood on a rotating lathe to the broad, abstract concepts of changing direction, position, state, or sequence. This evolution encapsulates the shift from a specific craft to a fundamental verb describing circular motion and transformation.
Analysis
The word 'turn' is a simplex word derived from Old English. Its core form has remained largely unchanged, making further segmentation into distinct morphemes within the modern spelling not feasible.
Examples
Please turn the key to start the engine.
The weather is expected to turn cold by the weekend.
It's your turn to speak at the meeting.