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.
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)'.
Two branches
位置、時間、順序上最靠近
這一支是那個畫面的字面用法：真的有一排東西，而 proximate 指著最靠近的那一個。
adjective · C1
Nearest — closest in place, in time, in an order, or in a family line. It is a formal word, more common in writing than in speech, and it often appears as 'proximate to something'.
最近的／鄰近的
因果鏈上最靠近結果的一環
把那一排東西換成一連串原因，最靠近結果的那一環就是 proximate cause；這是同一個畫面搬到因果上。
adjective · C1
Directly causing something. A proximate cause is the last link in the chain — the event that actually brought the result about, rather than a deeper reason further back.
直接的（原因）