Where does “climax” come from?

Climax derives from Latin climax, from Ancient Greek κλῖμαξ meaning ladder or staircase, from κλίνω meaning to lean or incline, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱley- and ḱel-.

climax (English): A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged...

Definitions

  1. A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged...

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 →