One way to hold proximate: out of everything in the line, this is the one standing closest. The line can be a row of buildings, a row of days, a list, a family tree, or a chain of events. Whatever the line is made of, proximate points at the piece right next to you — and at nothing further back.
From the word’s history
Latin proximus meant 'nearest' and is the superlative of prope, 'near'; Late Latin proximare meant 'to draw near'. The word has carried 'nearest' from the start.
proximate 來自拉丁文 proximus「最近的」，而 proximus 是 prope「近」的最高級；後期拉丁文 proximare 意思是「靠近」。也就是說，「最靠近」不是後來引申出來的，而是這個字從頭就帶著的東西。
Wiktionary entry supplied in this packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1040689647:5821): 'From Late Latin proximatus… from Latin proximus (nearest), superlative of prope (near)'.
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