Where does “anticlímax” come from?
anticlímax (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese clímax, 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.
anticlímax (Portuguese): anticlimax
Ancestry of “anticlímax”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | clímax | climax |
| 2 | Latin | clīmax | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κλῖμαξ | ladder; staircase; torture instrument shaped like... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κλίνω | to bend, slant; to cause to give way, cause to... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱley- | to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |