The word ‘catastrophe’ comes from the ancient Greek καταστρέϕω, which is formed from κατα (kata), meaning ‘down’ or ‘against’, and στρέφω (stréphō), ‘to turn’. In its etymological sense, it conveys the general idea of ‘overturning’. Accordingly, in ‘catastrophe theory’,1 the term is used to refer to the idea of a ‘critical point’, the final stage of a phase of equilibrium, which paves the way for change and transformation. However, when the word entered the English lexicon in the sixteenth century, it acquired a dysphoric connotation, being initially used to describe tragic events in dramatic works and later extending to refer to devastating events and disasters more broadly. Contemporary dictionaries continue to emphasize such a negative connotation.