above English · revision 3533

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 896 (Old English abufan)|origins=gem-pro *ufan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈbʌv/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|above]] (also [[m|enm|aboven]]), [[inh|ang|abufan]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) reduced from earlier [[m|ang|onbufan|t=above, in or to a higher place]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) formed from [[m|ang|on|t=on]] and [[m|ang|bufan|t=over]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(COED 2004) The second element is itself a compound of [[m|ang|be|t=by]] and [[m|ang|ufan|t=above, from above]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gem-pro|*ufan]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) whose cognates include [[osx|oban]] and German [[m|de|oben]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Etymonline traces it to [[ine-pro|*upo|t=under, up from under, over]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) It is related to [[over]], [[up]] and [[by]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English ''abufan'' is recorded about 896.^(Barnhart 1988) The OED's first sense, “overhead, on high, upstairs”, is from about 1000.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Higher on a page, or earlier in a text, is from about 1120,^(OED 1989) and “in heaven” from about 1250.^(OED 1989) Of rank or position, “superior to, higher than”, it is from about 1200,^(Etymonline) perhaps reinforced in Middle English by the sense “higher at table than, taking precedence over” in the mid-14th century.^(Etymonline) “In addition to” and “out of reach of, not stooping to” are from the mid-14th century,^(Etymonline) and “more than” in number or value from the late 14th.^(Etymonline) ''Above all'' is from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) The noun, as in ''the above'', is from the 13th century,^(MW Collegiate) and the adjective, as in ''the above figures'', from 1604^(MW Collegiate) or about 1515.^(MWU 2024) In Yorkshire and Lincolnshire dialect ''above a bit'' meant “very much”, and ''above oneself'' “out of one's station”.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 896 – Old English ''abufan''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1000 – overhead.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1120 – earlier in a text.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – of higher rank.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1250 – in heaven.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-14th century – in addition to.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – ''above all''; more than.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1604 – adjective, mentioned before.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Overhead; in or to a higher place.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # In [[heaven]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Earlier in a text.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # In or to a higher rank; above zero.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Over or higher than.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Superior to in rank or number; greater than.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Beyond the reach or level of: ''above suspicion''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # In preference to.^(AHD)

+ # More than: ''above a thousand''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Something mentioned earlier in a text.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Appearing earlier in the same text.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aboveground]]

+ * [[abovementioned]]

+ * [[hereinabove]]

+ * [[above all]]

+ * [[over and above]]

+ * [[above stairs]]

+ * [[above the line]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[over]]

+ * [[up]]

+ * [[by]]

+ * [[about]]

+ * [[beneath]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary notes that ''above'' as an adjective or noun for a preceding text is most common in business and legal writing; most of its Usage Panel accepted the adjective (''the above figures''), but only a minority the noun (''read the above'').^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}