Upland

How to spell upland

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce upland

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does upland mean?

1. nounAn area of high or hilly ground, lying above the lowlands and valleys.
2. adjectiveRelating to or found on high or hilly ground.

Upland in a sentence

• noun

  The sheep grazed across the windswept upland all summer.

• adjective

  The survey recorded several upland bird species nesting on the moor.

• noun

  Heavy rain on the upland feeds the rivers in the valley below.

• adjective

  Upland farms here rely on hardy breeds that cope with the cold.

Where does upland come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English compound, formed simply from up and land, and it has been part of the language since the Old English period. The element up traces back to Old English uppe, meaning 'in or to a higher position', while land has always meant 'ground' or 'region' in the Germanic languages, with relatives across Dutch and German. Put together, the word literally names 'high ground', the part of a country that sits above the valleys and lowland plains. Because it is built from two ordinary, transparent words, its spelling has stayed remarkably stable over the centuries. The contrast with 'lowland' shows the same pattern, and seeing the two side by side is the easiest way to keep the parts of the word clearly in mind.

How the word is built

• up- (high, upper)
• land (ground, region)