Where does “upper-” come from?
upper- (Middle Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch op, from Old Dutch up, from Proto-Germanic upp, from Proto-Germanic ub, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
Ancestry of “upper-”, step by step
upper- traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Dutch op
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | op | on, on top of; at, in the direction of; at, by |
| 2 | Old Dutch | up | up, upwards |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | upp | up, upwards |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ub | under |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
via Middle Dutch up
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | up | Alternative form of op |