English
above-water
From above + water.
Proto-Indo-European *upó ‘up’
…
Proto-West Germanic *biobanā
Old English bufan ‘over’
Old English ābufan
Middle English above
English above
Proto-Indo-European *wed- ‘water; to well’
…
Proto-Germanic *watōr ‘water’
Proto-West Germanic *watar ‘water’
Old English wæter ‘water’
Middle English water ‘water’
English water
Today it means
adj Above the surface of the water.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / above-water