climactericus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kliː.makˈteː.rɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kli.makˈtɛː.ri.kus]^[1]

Forms

clīmactēricus (feminine clīmactērica, neuter clīmactēricum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κλιμακτηρικός (klimaktērikós, “of a critical period”),^[2][1][3] from κλιμακτήρ (klimaktḗr, “rung of a ladder”), from κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”).^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pliny the Younger, in a letter, tells someone that he is in a critical time but will survive.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

It belonged to the astrologers' climactēres, the steps of life, every seventh year being thought dangerous.^[3][7] Gellius and Censorinus speak of the annus climactēricus, a critical year of life.^[7][6] Tertullian also mentions it.^[7]

English climacteric is recorded in the 1620s for a critical stage of life.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 165 AD – Gellius speaks of the climacteric year.^[7][4]
• 1620s – English climacteric is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (astrology) Critical, climacteric, of a dangerous stage of life.^[2][7]

Related words

• climax
• English climacteric

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press