Where does “climax” come from?

climax (Dutch) comes from Latin clīmax, from Ancient Greek κλῖμαξ, from Ancient Greek κλίνω, from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

climax (Dutch): climax (culmination of a narrative's rising action)

Definitions

  1. climax (culmination of a narrative's rising action)

Ancestry of “climax”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinclīmaxclimax
2Ancient Greekκλῖμαξladder; staircase; torture instrument shaped like...
3Ancient Greekκλίνωto bend, slant; to cause to give way, cause to...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱley-to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “climax”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱley- →Every word from Ancient Greek κλίνω →