Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “up-” come from?

up- (Middle English) comes from Old English ūp-, from Old English ūp, from Proto-Germanic upp, from Proto-Germanic ub, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.

Ancestry of “up-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishūp-up-
2Old Englishūpup, from above
3Proto-Germanicuppup, upwards
4Proto-Germanicubunder
5Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “up-”

  • upstairs
  • update
  • upstream
  • upgrade
  • uplift
  • upturned
  • upshot
  • upload
  • upbeat
  • upsurge
  • upriver
  • uproot
  • upstanding
  • upwelling
  • upregulation
  • upmarket
  • upswing
  • upwind
  • uptrend
  • upstage
  • upslope
  • upliftment
  • updraft
  • upgradation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →