Where does “climax” come from?

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

Ancestry of “climax”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Ancient Greek	κλῖμαξ	ladder; staircase; torture instrument shaped like...
2	Ancient Greek	κλίνω	to bend, slant; to cause to give way, cause to...
3	Proto-Indo-European	ḱley-	to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline
4	Proto-Indo-European	ḱel-	to cover; to incline

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →