The Vœrtex: An E-Concept
vortex noun
vor·tex /ˈvȯr-ˌteks/
plural: vortices /ˈvȯr-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : something that resembles a whirlpool
2 a : a mass of fluid (such as a liquid) with a whirling or circular motion that tends to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle and to draw toward this cavity or vacuum bodies subject to its action
especially : WHIRLPOOL, EDDY
b : a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
Etymology: New Latin vortic-, vortex, from Latin vertex, vortex whirlpool — more at VERTEX (Merriam-Webster)
vor·tex /ˈvȯr-ˌteks/
plural: vortices /ˈvȯr-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : something that resembles a whirlpool
2 a : a mass of fluid (such as a liquid) with a whirling or circular motion that tends to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle and to draw toward this cavity or vacuum bodies subject to its action
especially : WHIRLPOOL, EDDY
b : a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
Etymology: New Latin vortic-, vortex, from Latin vertex, vortex whirlpool — more at VERTEX (Merriam-Webster)
vertex noun
ver·tex /ˈvər-ˌteks/
plural: vertices /ˈvər-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : the top of the head
2 a : the point opposite to and farthest from the base in a figure
b : a point (as of an angle, polygon, polyhedron, graph, or network) that terminates a line or curve or comprises the intersection of two or more lines or curves
c : a point where an axis of an ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola intersects the curve itself
3 : a principal or highest point : SUMMIT (Merriam-Webster)
Etymology: Middle English, top of the head, from Latin vertic-, vertex, vortic-, vortex whirl, whirlpool, top of the head, summit, from vertere to turn
ver·tex /ˈvər-ˌteks/
plural: vertices /ˈvər-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : the top of the head
2 a : the point opposite to and farthest from the base in a figure
b : a point (as of an angle, polygon, polyhedron, graph, or network) that terminates a line or curve or comprises the intersection of two or more lines or curves
c : a point where an axis of an ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola intersects the curve itself
3 : a principal or highest point : SUMMIT (Merriam-Webster)
Etymology: Middle English, top of the head, from Latin vertic-, vertex, vortic-, vortex whirl, whirlpool, top of the head, summit, from vertere to turn
vœrtex noun
veer·tex /’viːɹ-ˌtɛks/
plural: vœrtices /ˈviːɹ-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : the intricately balanced point, or vertex, of tension where two equal but opposing forces meet, as in the point of conflict between two vortex rings.
veer·tex /’viːɹ-ˌtɛks/
plural: vœrtices /ˈviːɹ-tə-ˌsēz/
1 : the intricately balanced point, or vertex, of tension where two equal but opposing forces meet, as in the point of conflict between two vortex rings.
A vœrtex is generated at the transformative point at which two equal but opposing forces meet. These two forces can be opposed in any sense: kinetically, aesthetically, thermically, ideologically. The site of intricately balanced tension and conflict, push and pull, that manifests between these two forces.
The notion of the vœrtex was inspired by the fluid dynamics of jellyfish, and further developed through their relationship with wider ocean currents, and considering vœrtices through reading Marianne Moore’s “A Jelly-Fish”.
The expansion and contraction of a jellyfish’s bell as they swim generates two vortex rings, which spin in opposite directions. The friction that is generated by the meeting of these two vortices causes the water to still itself, allowing the momentary creation of a liquid, but nonetheless stationary, wall, from which jellyfish can push against for more momentum (Gemmell 2021). This point (or vertex) between the two vortex rings is a site steeped in conflict, paradox and balance.
One crucial aftermath of a vœrtex is its wake, the resulting interplay of attraction and repulsion between the two opposing forces, caused by the momentum of each force at play. A vœrtex’s evanescence can be a result of either each opposing force either eventually cancelling each other out, or one force overpowering the other. In the former case, attraction and repulsion is purely balanced and equally experienced by each of the two forces. In the latter, the momentum of each unequal force (given that one overpowered the other) means that attraction and repulsion are unequally experienced. This often, but not always, manifests in such a way where force A is attracted to force B, but force B is repulsed by force A. In the case of a jellyfish, as its vœrtex allows its motion through the water, it creates a wake, dragging a trail of the water it has just left behind its body (Katija 2011). While the water it has left is attracted to the jellyfish, the jellyfish continuously rejects the water, moving further and further away. This vœrtex wake is the physical or affective aftermath of a vœrtical interaction, which often manifests as a complex interplay of attraction and rejection.
Vœrtex, as a word, is in and of itself inherently vœrtexical. Vortex and vertex are doublets of each other, words that have the same etymological root but have come to the language via different routes (Wikipedia, 2023). Combining them together creates a productive friction, a conflict of equal but opposing forces.
The amalgamation of the o and e into œ is not only conceptually vœrtical, but aesthetically; it is a visual representation of the vertex of two vortexes, the point at which two whirls meet. The curve of each letter represents the curved side of each vortex, meeting in the middle in a site of balanced and productive conflict. Not only that but an “œ” in it’s lowercase or capitalised form (Œ) is conveniently a pictogram of a jellyfish, circling back to the concept’s original inspiration.
Vœrtices are closely related to Derrida’s theory of deconstruction, which claims that words only have meaning when understood in contrast with other words, most notably their opposite. For example, attractive only conveys meaning through its tension with the word repulsive. This sense of tension is the epitome of a vœrtex, balancing opposites so intricately as to ultimately result in the production of meaning. As stated by Derrida, “That is what deconstruction is made of: not the mixture but the tension between memory, fidelity, the preservation of something that has been given to us, and, at the same time, heterogeneity, something absolutely new, and a break.” (Derrida, 1997)
Vœrtices fade when the delicate balances of push and pull inherent to vœrtices are disrupted or unbalanced. As vœrtices exist in such a delicate and precarious balance between two independant forces, they are constantly in flux. A small-scale, momentary vœrtex may at any moment dissolve into nothing as a result of the balances becoming misaligned. A larger and more long-term vœrtex, while it may be significantly more stable, is still at significant risk when outside (often human) forces come into play. This can be seen in the planet’s thermohaline circulation systems, such as the “global conveyor belt” or the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). As water is lost to ice formation in the North Atlantic it leaves behind salt, making the already dense cold water even denser, causing it to sink. Warmer surface water rushes in to replace it, creating a current, and undergoes the same process of densification. However, as the ecological mayhem of the anthropocene increases global temperatures, less water is being lost to ice formation. On top of this, melting ice sheets are introducing fresh water back into the ocean. This means that surface water is not increasing in density and sinking, resulting in a chain reaction slowing the entire global conveyor belt down. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that “The [AMOC] is very likely to weaken over the 21st century for all considered scenarios (high confidence), however an abrupt collapse is not expected before 2100 (medium confidence). If such a low probability event were to occur, it would very likely cause abrupt shifts in regional weather patterns and water cycle, such as a southward shift in the tropical rain belt, and large impacts on ecosystems and human activities.” (2023) Through humanity’s imbalancing of the vœrtices between hot and cold water that power the push and pull of these currents, Earth’s climate and biosphere are at significant risk.