upstanding
Meaning
honest and morally good
(archaic) standing up; erect
Structure
Usage
he was respected as an upstanding member of the community.
the company prides itself on its upstanding business practices.
(archaic) the soldiers remained upstanding throughout the long ceremony.
Etymology
the word 'upstanding' is a native english formation, built from the old english elements 'up' and 'standan'. the literal sense of "standing up" or "erect" is directly transparent from its parts. over time, the physical posture of being upright became a powerful metaphor for moral rectitude and honesty, leading to the dominant modern abstract meaning describing a person of good character. this semantic shift from the physical to the moral realm is a common pattern in english, seen in words like 'upright' itself.
Analysis
- up: from old english "up, upp", meaning "upward, aloft". functions as an intensifying prefix. - stand: from old english "standan", meaning "to stand, be upright". functions as the core root. - ing: from old english "-ende", present participle suffix, forming adjectives from verbs.