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
- A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged...
Ancestry of “climax”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | clīmax | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | κλῖμαξ | ladder; staircase; torture instrument shaped like... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κλίνω | to bend, slant; to cause to give way, cause to... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱley- | to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
Words derived from “climax”