Where does “uppercase” come from?

Uppercase derives from English upper combined with case, which comes from Middle English cas, Old French cas, and Latin casus meaning "fall" or "occasion," ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root keh₂p- meaning "to seize."

uppercase (English): written in upper case; capital; Alternative...

Definitions

  1. written in upper case; capital; Alternative...

Ancestry of “uppercase”, step by step

uppercase traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Case

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCaseabstract feature of a noun phrase that determines...
2GermanKäsecheese; nonsense
3Middle High Germankæsecheese
4Old High Germankāsicheese
5Proto-West Germanickāsīcheese
6Proto-Germanickāsijazcheese
7Latincāseuscheese
8Proto-Indo-Europeankwat-to ferment, become sour; to boil

via English upper

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishupperAt a higher level, rank or position; Situated on...
2Middle Englishupper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kwat-