Upheaval
/ˌʌpˈhiːvəl/noun
A major change or disruption, especially one that is sudden and dramatic.
Did you know?Upheaval is built from the verb heave, an old English word for lifting and throwing, so its history is all about physical force before it became a metaphor for social chaos.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hebban
“to raise, lift up”
Middle English
ME
heven / hevenen
“to lift, raise”
16th Century
English
heave
“to lift or throw with effort”
17th Century
English
upheave
“to heave upward, lift up forcibly”
18th Century
English
upheaval
“the act of upheaving; a raising or heaving up”
Modern English
English
upheaval
“a major disturbance or sudden change”