Where does “level up” come from?

level up (English) comes from Japanese レベルアップ, from Japanese レベル, from English level, from Middle English level, from Old French livel, from Latin lībella, from Latin lībra, from Ancient Greek ζυγόν — to join, to yoke, to tie together.

level up (English): To raise to the same level or status; to improve...

Definitions

  1. To raise to the same level or status; to improve...

Ancestry of “level up”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japaneseレベルアップlevel up; to level up
2Japaneseレベルa level; a rebel; a revel
3EnglishlevelThe same height at all places; parallel to a flat...
4Middle Englishlevel—
5Old Frenchlivel—
6LatinlībellaAn as (the tenth part of a denarius)
7Latinlībra—
8Ancient Greekζυγόνyoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in...
9Proto-Hellenicdzugónyoke
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyugómyoke
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyewg-to join, to yoke, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yewg- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European yugóm →Every word from Proto-Hellenic dzugón →