Where does “flare-up” come from?

flare-up (English) comes from English up, from Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-West Germanic *upp.

flare-up (English): A sudden outbreak, outburst or eruption; A sudden...

Definitions

  1. A sudden outbreak, outburst or eruption; A sudden...

Ancestry of “flare-up”, step by step

flare-up traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English up

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishupAway from the surface of the Earth or other...
2Middle Englishupto a vertical axis
3Old Englishuppup; upstairs
4Proto-West Germanic*upp

via English flare

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflareA sudden bright light; A source of brightly...
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *uppEvery word from Old English uppEvery word from Middle English up