Where does “upcreek” come from?
upcreek (English) comes from English up, from Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-West Germanic *upp.
upcreek (English): Towards the source of a creek
Definitions
- Towards the source of a creek
Ancestry of “upcreek”, step by step
upcreek traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English up
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | up | Away from the surface of the Earth or other... |
| 2 | Middle English | up | to a vertical axis |
| 3 | Old English | upp | up; upstairs |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *upp | — |
via English Creek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Creek | One of a Native American tribe from the... |
| 2 | Middle English | crike | muscular spasm of the neck |
| 3 | Old Norse | kriki | bend; nook |