upon
əˈpɑːn
The word that shows up in forms and in fairy tales
The picture The moment one thing comes to rest touching the top of another. UPON is the formal on that shows the moment of landing, ON is the state of already lying there.
Where the picture shows up in upon
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the instant of contact
Upon arrival, please sign here.
əˈpɑːn əˈraɪvəl pliːz saɪn hɪr
As soon as you arrive, sign right here.
the instant a foot touches the threshold, a pen comes down onto the paper
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a hand laid on top
She placed her hand upon my shoulder.
ʃiː pleɪst hɜːr hænd əˈpɑːn maɪ ˈʃoʊldər
She laid her hand on my shoulder.
an open palm lowers and rests quietly on the shoulder
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weight resting on a support
Everything depends upon your answer.
ˈevriθɪŋ dɪˈpendz əˈpɑːn jʊr ˈænsər
Everything hangs on your answer.
a heavy load balances on one small stone marked answer
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a point on the timeline
Once upon a time, this was a farm.
wʌns əˈpɑːn ə taɪm ðɪs wʌz ə fɑːrm
Long ago this place was a farm.
a fingertip presses one single point on a long stretched line of time
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looming, about to land
Winter is almost upon us.
ˈwɪntər ɪz ˈɔːlmoʊst əˈpɑːn ʌs
Winter is right at the door.
a huge winter cloud hangs just above your head, ready to come down
All of it in one picture
upon is one moment: something settles onto the top of something else. A foot touching the threshold gives you as soon as you arrive; a hand touching a shoulder gives you placing; weight resting on a single support gives you depending on it. A fingertip on one point of the timeline gives you once long ago, and a winter cloud resting just above your head gives you almost here.