Where does “unless” come from?
unless (English) comes from English upon, from Middle English upon, from Middle English up-, from Old English ūp-, from Old English ūp, from Proto-Germanic upp, from Proto-Germanic ub, from Proto-Indo-European upó.
unless (English): Except on a specified condition; if not; If not;...
Definitions
- Except on a specified condition; if not; If not;...
Ancestry of “unless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | upon | Physically above and in contact with; Physically... |
| 2 | Middle English | upon | upon |
| 3 | Middle English | up- | — |
| 4 | Old English | ūp- | up- |
| 5 | Old English | ūp | up, from above |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | upp | up, upwards |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ub | under |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |