Where does “upstanding” come from?

Upstanding comes from English stand, from Old English standan, from Proto-Germanic standaną, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be stationary.

upstanding (English): honest; reputable; respectable; standing up;...

Definitions

  1. honest; reputable; respectable; standing up;...

Ancestry of “upstanding”, step by step

upstanding traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English standing

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishstandingpresent participle of stand; Erect, not cut down;...
2Middle Englishstandynge—
3Old Englishstandende—
4Proto-Germanicstandandzstanding
5Proto-Germanicstandanąto stand
6Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

via English upstand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishupstandTo stand up; arise; be erect; rise; A section of...
2Middle Englishupstanden—

Words derived from “upstanding”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic standaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic standandz →