Etymograph

English

up

Up comes from Middle English up ‘to a vertical axis’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *upp ‘up, upwards’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*upp‘up’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame formreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150upp
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500up‘to a vertical axis’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1593same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*upp‘up’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame formreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150upp
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500up‘to a vertical axis’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1593same form

Earliest quotation: 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […]: “The fearefull newes that whilſt the flame doth but…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *upó ‘up’

suggest, sub, sum, suspicion, hypo, subaltern, 8 more

through Proto-Germanic *ub ‘under’

above, oft

through Proto-Germanic *upp ‘up, upwards’

opening, upwards, ope, 2 more

through Proto-West Germanic *upp

upward, 1 more

through Middle English up ‘to a vertical axis’

upper

Today it means

adv Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *upp / up

Shirt and support for this word