Katastrophe

Katastrophe is the German noun for catastrophe. In ordinary language it denotes an unfolding disaster of large magnitude, such as natural disasters, severe accidents, or major setbacks, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe ruin or a large-scale failure.

Etymology and usage: The word comes from the Greek katastrophē via Latin catastrophē and entered German in the early modern period. In German, Katastrophe is generally used for truly grave events; Desaster is a closely related loanword that is often used for less severe incidents or in colloquial speech, with some overlap in everyday usage.

In science and theory, Katastrophe appears in Catastrophe Theory (Katastrophentheorie), developed by René Thom in the 1960s, focusing on systems that undergo sudden qualitative changes due to small changes in parameters. The term is also used in various interdisciplinary fields including physics, biology, economics, and social sciences.

In literature and drama, Katastrophe denotes the final or devastating turn in a tragedy; the term is used in literary criticism to describe the culmination and resolution of the plot.