Definition of wake up

The phrase "wake up" is a common English expression used to encourage someone to become aware of their surroundings and wake from sleep. The origin of the phrase can be traced back to Old English, where it was spelled as "weca" or "wakan". In Old English, "weca" meant "watchful" or "vigilant". When used as a command, it meant "be watchful" or "remain awake". As the English language evolved, the spelling of the word changed to "wakean" in Middle English. Its meaning, however, remained the same. The modern form of the word "wake up" is made up of two parts: "wake", meaning "awaken" or "be alert", and "up", denoting "from a horizontal position". These two words have been combined to create a single expression meaning "to move from a sleeping position and become fully awake". The word "wake" itself has an interesting etymology. It is derived from the Old English "wacan", which also meant "be awake" or "remain alert". The Old English word may have developed from the Proto-Germanic root "wakh-", meaning "wake" or "be awake". In summary, the expression "wake up" is composed of the Old English words "weca" and "up". Their modern forms, "wake" and "up", carry the meanings they did in Old English. Therefore, "wake up" is a clear descendant of Old English expressions used to encourage people to wake from sleep.