English Explanatory Dictionary

upon

English dictionary entry

Meanings

prep
  1. A higher-register or more formal alternative to on in most, though not all, prepositional uses.

Pronunciation

/əˈpɒn/ /əˈpɑn/ /əˈpɔn/ en-us-upon.ogg

Word forms

upon uppon vpon vppon

Etymology

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”).

Derived words

act upon allot upon Ashton upon Mersey Barrow upon Humber Barrow upon Soar Barrow upon Trent Barton upon Humber Barton upon Irwell base upon bear upon begin upon Berwick-upon-Tweed blow upon Bolton upon Dearne break a butterfly upon a wheel break a butterfly upon the wheel break a fly upon a wheel break a fly upon the wheel break upon the wheel breathe upon bring upon build upon Burton upon Stather Burton upon Trent butterfly upon a wheel call upon carry one's heart upon one's sleeve cast one's bread upon the waters chance upon city upon a hill Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Clifton upon Teme close in upon come down upon come upon come upon the parish come upon the town condescend upon count upon dance upon nothing dawn upon decide upon descend upon down upon one's luck draw upon dwell upon fall back upon fall out upon fall upon fall upon someone's neck fix upon fly upon frown upon gain upon hang upon happen upon have one's heart set upon hereupon hinge upon hit upon
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