whereupon, adv. Now arch. or formal exc. in sense 4.
(hwɛərəˈpɒn)
[f. where 15 + upon.]
I. 1. interrog. Upon what? = whereon 1; † in early use = at what? about or concerning what? upon what ground, wherefore?
| 13.. Cursor M. 18774 (Gött.) God men of galile, Quar-apon sua wonder ȝe? 1535 Coverdale Job xxxviii. 6 Where wast thou, when I layed y⊇ foundacions of the earth?.. Where vpon stonde the pilers of it? 1581 A. Hall Iliad x. 183 So that I to him brought From out your campe some certain newes, & whervpon you thought, Whether you meant to take the sea, or to your tackle stand. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. iii. 42 The King hath sent to know The nature of your Griefes, and whereupon You coniure from the Brest of Ciuill Peace, Such bold Hostilitie. 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 99 Neighbour Quickly (sayes hee) receiue those that are Ciuill; for (sayth hee) you are in an ill Name: now hee said so, I can tell whereupon. 1666 Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 192 The sense of the nation's extreme necessity makes us exceeding tender whereupon to fasten our resolutions. |
II. rel. Upon which.
2. Of local position: = whereon 2. (In first quot. fig.)
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 42, I thenke..speke of thing [sc. love]..wherupon the worlde mot stonde, And hath don sithen it began. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiv. 154 In þe myddes..es a lytill hill, whare apon es a lytil palace. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxiii. 259 Godys son..hase not where apon his hede to rest. 1535 Coverdale Judges xvi. 26 The pilers wher vpon the house stondeth. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomencl. 51/1 Ouum vrinum,..an addle egge, whereupon the hen sitteth not. c 1660 in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 262 A small hill whereupon is built a strong castle. 1853 G. Johnston Nat. Hist. E. Bord. I. 20 The site whereupon stood the Bastle. |
† b. Over which, as superior. Obs. rare—1.
| 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 97 Thys monastery of Syon, where vpon our lady is chyef lady & quyene. |
3. Upon which as a basis of action, argument, etc., and in various constructional uses.
| 1521 Fisher Serm. agst. Luther i. Wks. (1876) 313, .iij. great groundes wher vpon Martyn dothe stable in maner all his articles. 1566 in Maitl. Club Misc. I. 46 For payment of the sowmis quhairvpoun the samin [landis] lyis in wadset. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 55 In his death..he fand the mercy of his God, whareupoun he ever exhorted all men to depend. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 114 Our king..hes, of ȝeirlie rentis, quhairvpon he royallie may susteine his court. 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God xvii. iv. 625 The text wherevpon all this prophetesses words haue dependance. 1643 in Spalding Club Misc. I. 15, I haue at this place found a very concerning occasion wheyrvpon to renew my desyre. 1710 in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874) 152 We declare that the not delivery herof..shall be no..ground whereupon to reduce quarrell. |
† b. (with clause as antecedent.) On which account, for which reason, wherefore; (of derivation or inference) from which, whence. Obs.
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 80 Force is ane of the principale foundementis of bataill, quhareapon men suld wit that syndry folk..has the body rycht lytill, and ȝit thai have the hert and the curage grete. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 17 Panteron is a stone of all colours..wherevpon it is so named. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 763 One that will eyther push-on, or pluck-back, thy Businesse there: where⁓upon I command thee to open thy Affaire. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 137 It seemes a worke hanging in the Ayre, where⁓upon it is called Stoneheng vulgarly, and is reputed among Miracles. 1674 Playford Skill Mus. (ed. 7) i. xi. 46 In the which [sc. Airy Musicks]..that liveliness of Singing is in that place to be omitted, and not any Passion to be used which savoureth of Languishment. Whereupon we see how necessary a certain judgment is for a Musician. |
4. Upon (the occurrence or occasion of) which; immediately after and in consequence of which; and when that happened, or was done or said.
The chief current sense; resembling 3 b in having a clause or statement as antecedent, but expressing a different shade of meaning.
| 1461 Paston Lett. II. 17 The said the Kyng hade wreton to dyvers persones here quych hade promysed men, quer⁓uppon I promysed a man. 1582 N. T. (Rhem.) Matt. xiv. 7 The daughter of Herodias daunced before them: and pleased Herod. Wherevpon [Tindale, Wherefor] he promised with an othe, to giue her whatsoeuer she would aske of him. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 121 Sultan Tokomac..assailed him, whereupon ensued a most bloudy and furious battaile. 1727 De Foe Engl. Tradesm. ii. (ed. 2) 18 Last month I receiv'd my fortune..; whereupon I have taken a house in one of the principal streets of the town of ―. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 269 The lord of the manor..sold the lands to John Podger in fee, who..died two years after; whereupon the estate descended to his son Marmaduke. 1885 Swinburne Misc. (1886) 331 She assented on condition that the divorce could be lawfully effected without impeachment of her son's legitimacy; whereupon Lethington undertook..that she should be rid of her husband without any prejudice to the child. |
5. Upon the subject of which; about, as to, or concerning which. Now rare.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon iii. 4 Then they..shewyd hym there conclusyon where a pon they were agreyd. 1611 Bible Acts xxvi. 12, I persecuted them euen vnto strange cities. Whereupon [Tindale, About the which thynges; R.V. 1881 margin, On which errand], as I went to Damascus [etc.]. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. iv. 201, I did steere Toward this remedy, whereupon we are Now present heere together. |
6. Of motion or direction towards something, etc.: = whereon 5, 6.
| 1560 Bible (Genev.) Amos iv. 7 One piece was rained vpon, and the piece whereupon it rained not, withered. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xx. 6 An eye..Gilding the obiect where-vpon it gazeth. 1611 Bible Ezek. xxiv. 25 The desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds. 1640 tr. Verdere's Rom. of Rom. II. 22 This young Prince..took infinite delight in the object of this picture, whereupon his eies were incessantly fixed. |