Pöördepunktid

Pöördepunktid is an Estonian term that translates to “pivot points” or “turning points” in English. It refers to specific positions or moments around which a change, rotation or transition occurs. In geometry and mechanics the word is commonly used for the fixed point around which a rigid body or a rotating part turns. In this context a pöördepunkt is the axis of rotation or the centre of a revolution; the problem of locating these points is central to kinematics, machine design and materials engineering.

The concept also appears in mathematics, particularly in the study of functions. A pöördepunkt in a function’s graph is a point of inflection or a local extremum where the derivative changes sign. In calculus this is a turning point. The same notion arises in physics, where the centre of mass or balance point of a system can be called a pöördepunkt. In biomechanics, the body’s joints act as natural pivot points for locomotion.

In everyday usage pöördepunktid might describe crucial moments in history or in a storyline: the key events that cause a narrative to change direction. The word’s root, pöör, means “to turn”, reflecting the idea of a change in orientation or direction. The plural form pöördepunktid is used when referring to several such crucial positions or moments.