apocalypse

Where does the word "apocalypse" come from? It comes from Greek apokalypsis, passing through Late Latin before entering English (1100s).

Apocalypse’s story begins in Greek: apokalypsis meant “uncovering.” An uncovering or revelation, from 'apo', off, and 'kalyptein', to cover. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Late Latin as apocalypsis. The title of the Book of Revelation in the Latin Bible. It reached English by 1100s as apocalypse. Its sense of a world-ending catastrophe comes from the visions in the Book of Revelation. Today, apocalypse means the complete destruction of the world; a revelation.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient apokalypsis "uncovering", an uncovering or revelation, from 'apo', off, and 'kalyptein', to cover.
2. Stage 2 · Late Latin · ancient apocalypsis "revelation", the title of the Book of Revelation in the Latin Bible.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1100s apocalypse "revelation; catastrophe", its sense of a world-ending catastrophe comes from the visions in the Book of Revelation.