From PIE *upo — sibling of Greek 'hypo,' Latin 'sub,' and 'super,' all separated only by perspective.
Toward a higher place or position; at or to a higher level of intensity, volume, or activity.
From Old English 'up, ūp, upp' (up, upward), from Proto-Germanic *up (up), from PIE *upo (up from below, over). The same root produced Greek 'hypó' (under, from below — with a perspective shift), Latin 'sub' (under — from *upo with an added *s-), and Sanskrit 'úpa' (toward, near, under). Remarkably, 'up,' 'hypo-,' 'sub-,' and 'super' all trace back to this single root — the difference is perspective: 'up' looks from below, 'sub/hypo' looks from above. Key
'Up,' 'hypo-' (as in hypothermia), 'sub-' (as in submarine), and 'super' (as in superhero) all come from the same PIE root *upo (up from below). The difference is viewpoint: Germanic kept the upward perspective ('going up'), Greek took the 'from below' perspective ('hypó,' under), and Latin added an *s- to get 'sub' (under) and extended it with *-per to get 'super' (over and above).