Upon
/əˈpɒn/noun
Used to indicate position on or contact with something, or an event occurring immediately after another.
Did you know?“Upon” began as a literal combination of “up” and “on” in Old English, later becoming a formal-sounding preposition in English storytelling and ritual language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*upo
“Under, up from beneath, or upward; a root expressing vertical position”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*upp
“Upward or above”
Old English
Old English
uppan
“Upon; on or above”
Middle English
Middle English
upon
“On, onto, or immediately after”
Modern English
English
upon
“On or immediately after; also used in formal or literary style”