English
uber
Uber comes from German über ‘above’, from Proto-Germanic *ubiri ‘over’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *upér ‘above’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*upér‘above’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*upérireconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ubiri‘over’reconstructed
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050ubiri
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350über
- Germanc. 1650–presentsame form‘above’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006uber
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*upér‘above’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*upérireconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ubiri‘over’reconstructed
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050ubiri
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350über
- Germanc. 1650–presentsame form‘above’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006uber
Earliest quotation: 2006, GameAxis Unwired: “people in Team GameAxis are no different from the…”
The story
Entered English through Nietzsche's use of the word Übermensch.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *upér ‘above’
over, super, supreme, summary, soprano, supra, consummate, summa, 21 more
Today it means
adj Super; high-level; high-ranking.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *upér / uber