Where does “culmination” come from?

Culmination derives from French culmination and culminer, from Latin culmināre meaning "to reach the summit," itself from culmen "peak or ridge," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kelH- meaning "to rise or be prominent."

culmination (English): The attainment of the highest point of altitude...

Definitions

  1. The attainment of the highest point of altitude...

Ancestry of “culmination”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchculminationculmination
2FrenchculminerTo culminate; to culminate; reach the highest...
3Medieval Latinculmino—
4Latinculmenstalk; top, roof, summit, peak; height, acme
5Proto-Italickolamen—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱelH-to freeze

Words derived from “culmination”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelH- →Every word from Proto-Italic kolamen →Every word from Latin culmen →