above

英文词源

above

above: [OE] As in the case of about, the a- in above represents on and the -b- element represents by; above (Old English abufan) is a compound based on Old English ufan. This meant both ‘on top’ and ‘down from above’; it is related to over, and is probably descended from a hypothetical West Germanic ancestor *ufana, whose uf- element eventually became modern English up. So in a sense, above means ‘on by up’ or ‘on by over’.
=> by, on, up

above (adv.)

Old English abufan, earlier onbufan, from on (see on; also see a- (1)) + bufan "over," compound of be "by" (see by) + ufan "over/high," from Proto-Germanic *ufan- (cognates: Old Saxon, Old High German oban, German oben), from PIE root *upo (see up (adv.)). Meaning "in addition" first corded 1590s.