different between unless vs upon

English

Alternative forms

• unlesse (obsolete)
• unlessen

Etymology

onlesse, from on lesse, from "on a less condition" ("on" became un-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?l?s/, /?n?l?s/, /?n?l?s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Conjunction

unless

1. Except on a specified condition; if not.

   I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise (AmE: raise).

   • 1839, Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy Page 95

     Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.
2. If not; used with counterfactual conditionals.
   • 1159, John of Salisbury, Policraticus, edited by Cary J. Nederman, Cambridge University Press, 1990, page 3 (Google Books view):

     Who would know of Alexander or Caesar, or would respect the Stoics or the Peripatetics, unless they had been distinguished by the memorials of writers?

   • 1867, William Robinson Pirie, Natural Theology: An Inquiry Into the Fundamental Principles of Religious, Moral, and Political Science, page 75 (Google Books view):

     Unless He were omnipotent, we could not be sure of His ability to bless us.

3. Except if; used with hypothetical conditionals.
   • 1809, The Naval Chronicle for 1809: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Vol. XXII. (from July to December), Cambridge University Press, 2010, page 482 (Google Books view):

     Q. If Lieutenant P. had given the word "Fire," would you have fired, and at what?—A. I should not have known, unless he had told me what to fire at.

   • 1847, Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, Chapter III

     Lie down and finish out the night, since you are here; but, for heaven's sake! don't repeat that horrid noise: nothing could excuse it, unless you were having your throat cut!

   • 1981, Arthur C. Danto, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art, page 118 (Google Books view):

     Suppose Breugel had done the whole painting with no legs. Then, titled as it is, it would be mystifying, unless someone were to say: the boy has fallen in the waters and they have closed over him, calm is restored, life goes on (as in The Israelites Crossing the Red Sea).

Antonyms

• (except on a condition): if

Derived terms

• precisely unless
• unlesss
• unless and until, until and unless

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• uppon, vpon, vppon (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English upon, uppon, uppen, from Old English upon, uppon, uppan (“on, upon, up to, against, after, in addition to”), equivalent to up (“adverb”) +? on (“preposition”). Cognate with Icelandic upp á, upp á (“up on, upon”), Swedish på (“up on, upon”), Danish på (“up on, upon”), Norwegian på (“up on, upon”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p?n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??p?n/, /??p?n/
• Hyphenation: up?on
• Rhymes: -?n

Preposition

upon

1. Physically above and in contact with.
2. Physically directly supported by.

3. Being followed by another so as to form a series.
   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene 1

     No news of them? Why, so: and I know not what's spend in the search: why thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.

4. At (a prescribed point in time).

5. On.
   • Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

Usage notes

A somewhat elevated word, upon is common in poetic or legal contexts, but the simpler, more general term on is generally interchangeable, and more common in casual American speech.

Synonyms

• (all senses): on
• (time): at

Translations

Adverb

upon (not comparable)

1. Being the target of an action.

   He was set upon by the agitated dogs

Derived terms

• hereupon
• thereupon
• whereupon
• once upon a time
• 'pon

Anagrams

• Puno

Bikol Central

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /u.?pon/

Noun

upón

1. wild boar

Middle English

Alternative forms

• vpon, uppon, uppen

Etymology

From Old English upon, uppon, uppan (“on, upon, up to, against, after, in addition to”), equivalent to up +? on.

Preposition

upon

1. upon
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41

     And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. And herfore grete men of kunnynge and other also drowen myche to him, and comownede ofte with him. And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende. Also Filip of Repintoun whilis he was a chanoun of Leycetre, Nycol Herforde, dane Geffrey of Pikeringe, monke of Biland and a maistir dyuynyte, and Ioon Purueye, and manye other whiche weren holden rightwise men and prudent, taughten and wroten bisili this forseide lore of Wiclef, and conformeden hem therto. And with alle these men I was ofte homli and I comownede with hem long tyme and fele, and so bifore alle othir men I chees wilfulli to be enformed bi hem and of hem, and speciali of Wiclef himsilf, as of the moost vertuous and goodlich wise man that I herde of owhere either knew. And herfore of Wicleef speciali and of these men I toke the lore whiche I haue taughte and purpose to lyue aftir, if God wole, to my lyues ende.”

Descendants

• English: upon
• Yola: apan, apa

References

• “upon, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Adverb

upon

1. upon

Descendants

• English: upon
• Yola: apan, apa, pa

References

• “upon, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.