*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of upon

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *upp Proto-West Germanic *upp Old English upp Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der. Proto-Germanic *an Proto-West Germanic *ana Old English on Old Englis

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In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
prep

alternative to on in most, though not all, prepositional uses.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *upp Proto-West Germanic *upp Old English upp Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der. Proto-Germanic *an Proto-West Germanic *ana Old English on Old English uppan Middle English upon English upon From Middle English upon, uppon, uppen, from Old English upon, uppon, uppan (“on, upon, up to, against, after, in addition to”), equivalent to up (“adverb”) + on (“preposition”). Cognate with Old Saxon uppan (“upon”), Old High German ūfan, ūffan (“upon”), Icelandic upp á, upp á (“up on, upon”), Swedish uppå (“up on, upon”) (thence Swedish på), Danish på (“up on, upon”), Norwegian på (“up on, upon”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionuponenm
  • Inherited-form mentionuponang
  • Compound componentupen · adverb
  • Compound componentonen · preposition
  • Cognate mentionuppanosx · upon
  • Cognate mentionūfangoh
  • Cognate mentionuppis
  • Cognate mentionuppåsv
  • Cognate mentionpåsv
  • Cognate mentionpåda
  • Cognate mentionpåno
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:upon",
        "4": ":afeq",
        "5": "up",
        "6": "on<id:over>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *upó\nProto-Germanic *ub\nProto-Germanic *upp\nProto-West Germanic *upp\nOld English upp\nProto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.\nProto-Germanic *an\nProto-West Germanic *ana\nOld English on\nOld English uppan\nMiddle English upon\nEnglish upon\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ub\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*upp\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*upp\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"upp\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"on\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂en-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*an\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ana\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"uppan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"ang\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"gmw-pro:*upp<ety:inh<gem-pro:*upp>>\", \"id\" : \"up\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"upp\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"up\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }, { \"id\" : \"over\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"in\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"ang\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"gmw-pro:*ana<id:on><ety:inh<gem-pro:*an>>\", \"id\" : \"in\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"upon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"enm\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"ang:upp\", \"id\" : \"above\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"up\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"up\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"over\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"over\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"enm\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"ang:on<id:in>\", \"id\" : \"over\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"upon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"upon\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English upon"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English upon"
    },
    {
      "name": "com",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "up",
        "3": "on",
        "t1": "adverb",
        "t2": "preposition"
      },
      "expansion": "up (“adverb”) + on (“preposition”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "uppan",
        "t": "upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon uppan (“upon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "ūfan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German ūfan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "upp"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic upp"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "uppå",
        "3": "",
        "4": "up on, upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish uppå (“up on, upon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "på"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish på"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "på",
        "3": "",
        "4": "up on, upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish på (“up on, upon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "på",
        "3": "",
        "4": "up on, upon"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian på (“up on, upon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:upon",
        "4": ":afeq",
        "5": "up",
        "6": "on<id:over>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *upó\nProto-Germanic *ub\nProto-Germanic *upp\nProto-West Germanic *upp\nOld English upp\nProto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.\nProto-Germanic *an\nProto-West Germanic *ana\nOld English on\nOld English uppan\nMiddle English upon\nEnglish upon"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*upó",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/upó#Proto-Indo-European:_adverb"
    ],
    [
      "*ub",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ub"
    ],
    [
      "*upp",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/upp"
    ],
    [
      "*upp",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/upp"
    ],
    [
      "upp",
      "upp#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂en-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂en-"
    ],
    [
      "*an",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/an"
    ],
    [
      "*ana",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ana#Proto-West_Germanic:_on"
    ],
    [
      "on",
      "on#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "uppan",
      "uppan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "upon",
      "upon#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "upon",
      "upon#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "uppon",
      "uppon#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "uppen",
      "uppen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "upon",
      "upon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "uppon",
      "uppon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "uppan",
      "uppan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "up",
      "up#English"
    ],
    [
      "on",
      "on#English"
    ],
    [
      "uppan",
      "uppan#Old_Saxon"
    ],
    [
      "ūfan",
      "ufan#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "ūffan",
      "uffan#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "upp",
      "upp#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "á",
      "á#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "upp á",
      "upp á#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "uppå",
      "uppå#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "på",
      "på#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "på",
      "på#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "på",
      "på#Norwegian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prep",
      "glosses": [
        "alternative to on in most, though not all, prepositional uses."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "20cf313f069019769a72c41e0f158607ed6661f92fe12d583fbc4de7b8eabc57",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c2058f81326637fe66331ec3095ab6bc4d03de61a7430dd4a192b52708c1ae33",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 217581
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for upon →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dXBvbg