Etymology

up

U1P3

Today it means: Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity. Full definition →

Middle English up ← Old English upp ← Proto-West Germanic *upp
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  2. Proto-Germanic*ub
  3. Proto-Germanic*upp
  4. Proto-West Germanic*upp
  5. Old Englishupp
  6. Middle Englishup
  7. English todayup

From Middle English up, op, oup, from Old English upp, up, ūp (“up”), from Proto-West Germanic *upp, *ūp, from Proto-Germanic *upp, *eup (“up”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian ap (“up”), West Frisian op (“up”), Dutch op (“up”), German Low German up, op (“up”), German auf (“up”), Danish op (“up”), Swedish upp (“up”), Icelandic upp (“up”), Gothic 𐌹𐌿𐍀 (iup, “up”).

Words from the same roots

Old Englishupp all →

UptonUpminsterUpchurchUphamUpshawupfieldUpcott

Proto-Germanic*upp all →

upcome

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.