Where does “whereupon” come from?
Whereupon derives from Middle English whereupon, composed of where plus upon, ultimately from Old English upon meaning "on" or "in contact with."
whereupon (English): After which, in consequence; Upon which
Definitions
- After which, in consequence; Upon which
Ancestry of “whereupon”, step by step
whereupon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English upon
| 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- | — |
via English where
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | where | While on the contrary; although; whereas; At or... |
| 2 | Middle English | wher | where |
| 3 | Old English | hwǣr | where |
| 4 | Old English | -a | Ending forming adverbs; nominative masculine... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ō | Creates feminine nouns from roots and stems |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ô | -ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |