Middle English Dictionary Entry
upon adv.
Entry Info
Forms | upon adv. |
Etymology | From OE upon adv. & ME upon prep.; also cp. OE -uppan, -uppon (as in onuppan, wið-uppon). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. on adv.(1), her-upon adv., ther-upon adv., wher-upon adv. & conj.
1a.
(a) Above or upon in space, thereon; on top; also, on the surface;
(b) in a position of suspension, up; also, on a tree, thereon;
(c) ?from above; ?down on someone;
(d) putten ~ to (upon), to lay (sth.) on (sth.); also in fig. context;
(e) comen (fallen) ~, to attack.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Þenne þe mon wule tilden his musestoch, he bindeð uppon þa swike chese.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.34.4 : Þey destroȝeden befor hym þe auteris of baalym & þe symulacres þat weren sett vp on.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)219/15 : Make it [plaster] abrood upon a clooþ & leie it vpon hoot.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)208 : A pyȝt coroune ȝet wer þat gyrle…Hiȝe pynakled of cler quyt perle, Wyth flurted flowrez perfet vpon.
- (?a1419) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.120181 : That nane of tham by na lether falland to gyrdels of na man bot of barkers and battours, and lether with the here apon whar so tham likes.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)7.106 : Do donge vppon and vmbe on euery side.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)111/358 : Þou myȝt schere a-wey þe fyke…þen schalt þou strawe upon pouder of unsleked lyme or of chalke.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)51/2 : Har good brodyr…was besegyd in place febilly garnesyd, but a dyche and a hegge of thornys vpon.
- (a1500) Invent.Westm.in Archaeol.52213 [2nd occurrence] : Fyrste the westerer shall lay the abbotes cope lowest opon the awter…nex opon hys gray Ames, then hys surples, [etc.].
b
- ?a1300 Doomsday (Dgb 86)st.33 : Hoe shulen ise þene king þat al þis world wroutte Huppen on [vr. An uppon] þe rode.
- a1500(?a1425) Chester Pl.Antichr.(Pen 399)494/84 : Now wyll I turne…trees downe, the rote upright…and frute groing upon.
c
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)3/11-12 : Fairer ne miste non beo born, Ne no rein vpon birine, Ne sunne vpon bischine; Fairer nis non þane he was.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 21.5 : Becomeþ doumbe & putteþ vp on [L superponite] þe fynger to ȝoure mouþ.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.10.5 [2nd occurrence] : Vp on þe face of þe scribe or man of lawe he shal putten vpon [L imponet] his worshipe.
e
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4667 : He cam vp-on with many worþi man, And þo of newe þe slauȝter ageyn began.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4675 : Pallymadas…Gan falle vppon…And þe Grekis he gan so to enchose.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)22809 : With his legion he sette…Withouten alle batails for to hofe…Opon to cum, qwen tide maste nede.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.783 : Ȝit Comen they neuere so faste vppon That the stewardis Men Aȝens hem gonne gon.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1926 : Thanne came the prince of Cesare sone vppon With vij hundred knyghtes.
1b.
(a) With ref. to the wearing of clothing or armor: don ~, to don (an item of apparel); haven ~, be wearing (sth.); weren ~, wear (sth.);
(b) beren (haven) ~, to bear (bark, a mark).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2950 : Wiþ swiche strengþe he smot Helmadan, Al was nouȝt worþ he hadde opan.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.617 : A long surcote of pers vp on he hade.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3556 : Sche hir scherte dede upon And caste on hire a mantel.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.559 : I made my visitacions…And wered vpon my gaye scarlet gytes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)141 : Þe abyt þat þou hatz upon, no halyday hit menskez.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4036 : He hadde vp-on also A cote armvre.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)564 : Of fyn Orfrays hadde she eke A chapelet; so semly oon Ne werede neuer mayde vpon.
- c1475 Lydg.Say.Nightingale (Hrl 2251)123 : Crist Ihesu…had vpon a garnement ful newe.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)664 : I ȝeue the thys armour that he haȝth vppone!
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)156 : The Erle clepyd Gye anon—A sylke gowne he had vppon.
b
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)16.124 : He Made his preiere Anon To þat lord of whom he bar signe vppon.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)16.390 : He Scholde Neuere Noyen Man ne womman That the signe Of the holy Cros hadde vppon.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)17.239 : Þou Sye Thre Trees…And thike that hadde the Fowle bark vppon; That signefied verray Goddis sone.
2.
Onward, along.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15364 : Þeȝȝre firrste lare Iss haliȝ lare…& halsumm forr to lernenn, Forr swa to draȝhenn follc upponn To follȝhenn þeȝȝre lare.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)3 : Þa apostles…nomen þe asse and here colt and ledden to him…and ure drihten seodþan rad þer-on uppen toward ierusalem.
- a1425(OE) Chart.in Birch Cart.Sax.3.72,73 : An lang dich uppen iricht þurch þane wde on þare dich…of þane crundel up irichte on þat holenbedde…on lang Wickenforde uppen irichte on beambroc swo, up anlang streames.
3.
In misc. phrases:
(a) loken ~, to look on, observe; lokere ~, an observer; lokinge ~, observing;
(b) leven ~, to believe in someone [used redundantly following prep. phrase]; thinken ~, bear something in mind;
(c) beren on honde ~, to make an accusation against (sb.);
(d) ben ~ to, to have authority over (sb. or sth.), be in charge of.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)505/37 : Yf thy harte woll nat serve the, stonde by and loke uppon!
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)2 : Scopos is ‘locand vp on’; þer for if we wil, we mai calle bischoppis ‘locars up on’.
b
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)148-9 : Vndo þin hert…And þench þos wordis her ispoke; Forȝite ham noȝt, ac þench apan.
- a1500(?a1425) Chester Pl.Antichr.(Pen 399)512/596 : Blest be Jhesu…On hym I leve apon.
c
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)553 : This cursed damysele…bar hire good soster on hande vppon that jn folye sche lovede that holy man.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Par.27.26 : To þe churlisch werk forsoþe & to þe erþe tilieris þat wroȝten þe erþe esri þe sone of chebul was vp on [L præerat].
4.
(a) In addition; putten ~ over (to), to add (sth.) to (sth.);
(b) afterward, thereafter; also, in conjunctive phrase: ~ as, as soon as (sth. occurs); an-on (sone) ~, soon thereafter.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5043 : He and alle his noble men…riden from Facen, Day and oþer and þrid vpon.
- ?a1475 Chartier Treat.Hope (Vit E.10:Clermont)487 : Why will God put uppon newe turments ovir the travaile of ther labour?
- a1500 Craft Dying (Rwl C.894)409 : When a sike man ys turmentid sore…þan þe deuell is most besiest to superad or put-vpone sorrow to sorrow.
b
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)21037 : A quile he spurned with his heles And sone opon he yialde þe gaste.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)26982 : Vngre made þar hertes to talme, And oneu opon so on comand qwalme.
- (1443) Reg.Gild Stratford1 : As to the furst masse, that to be bygonne by vi of the Clok in the morow, ar sone vppon.
- (1475) Paston (EETS)1.484 : I woll, vppon as I heer from yow, come to yow.
- c1475 Lydg.FP (Hrl 4203)5.2898 : Anoon vpon [Hrl 1245: vpon anoon; Bod: To Philometer she weddid was afforn…Afftir whos deth anon vp suyng, To Euergetes…She was ageyn ioyned in mariage].
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)141 : Anon vpon ther soper was redy.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2041 : Sone vppon…ffro the Citee the sowdon passid owt.