adv. Forms: see THERE and UPON. [In ME. two (or three) words.]
1. Upon that or it (of position or motion, lit. or fig.). arch. or formal.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 53. Þes riche men … liggeð þer uppon alse þe tadde deð in þere eorðe.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 21. Cume þe sunfule mon ant legge his muð þer up on.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18565. Þar apon þai did þair sele.
c. 1400. Brut, 103. Þat euery man miȝt … þereoppon loke.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8447. Yche lede, þat leuys þerapon.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., h ij b. Ye sonday … callit ye day of our Lord, because of his resurrection yairvpon.
1716. Lond. Gaz., No. 5480/1. The Goods and Merchandizes laden thereupon.
a. 1774. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 679. If any man thinks he has … formed his own speculative plan thereupon.
† b. Alongside of that. Obs.
c. 1275. Lay., 12423. Hii bi-gonne … anne swiþe deope dich, and þar vp on oueral one stonene wal.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., To Rdr. Divers Potent Princes … who have … large territories lying thereupon [on the sea].
† c. = THEREABOUTS 2 b. Sc. Obs.
1649. Bp. Guthrie, Mem. (1702), 72. Standing in the Close, with 60 Gentlemen or thereupon about him.
2. Upon that (in time or order); on that being done or said; (directly) after that.
13[?]. Cursor M., 4945 (Gött.). Mete and drinck i gaf þaim bath,… And þar apon [C. þar on] stale [C. þai] þus mi thing.
c. 1400. [see THEREUP 2, quot. 1297].
1499. Bp. R. Fox, in Lett. Rich. III. & Hen. VII. (Rolls), II. 85. [He] wilbe with you at Michaelmas or soone thereupon.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1 b. Thervpon I begon after my poore maner to wryte in latyn.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvii. 159. If thereupon he accept Duell.
1891. Law Times, XCII. 104/2. For the purposes of the argument and the decision following thereupon.
b. On that ground; in consequence of that. arch.
1534. Starkey, Lett. to Cromwell, in England (1878), p. x. So therapon wyth your beneuolent mynd you may set forward somewhat better my purpos.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 388. I was tane for him, and he for me, And thereupon these errors are arose.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. xviii. 281. In some particular countries, by local custom, where other trees [than oak, ash, and elm] are generally used for building, they are thereupon considered as timber.
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven., I. Pref. 5. It had been fitted up for somebody’s reception, and been thereupon fresh painted.
3. On that subject or matter; with reference to that (it, them); thereanent. arch. or formal.
1414. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 22/2. That ther never be no Lawe made ther uppon.
1439. in Archæologia, XXI. 35. After þe Kynges lettres patentz ther upon made.
a. 1557. Diurn. Occur. (1833), 34. The erle Bothwell … tuke thame to Abirlady, and disponit thairvpone at his pleasour.
1695. Enq. Anc. Const. Eng., 39. Upon a legal process issued out thereupon.
1781. H. Gates, in Sparks, Corr. Amer. Rev. III. 420. I should have been happy to know your sentiments thereupon.
1905. Sat. Rev., 23 Dec., 814/2. As the … reports … interest … teachers I venture to address you thereupon.
