Definition of the word meet up

The phrase "meet up" is a relatively modern addition to the English language. It is a verb phrase composed of the words "meet" and "up," meaning to arrange to meet someone in a particular place at a specific time. The origin of the term "meet" can be traced back to the Old English word "mittan," which meant "to send" or "to appoint." This evolved into the Middle English word "meten," which meant "to come together" or "to encounter." The addition of the word "up" in "meet up" has a more recent history. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of "meet up" was in 1939, in the expression "I'll meet you up there," meaning to meet someone at a predetermined location. "Up" in this context is a contraction of the word "against" or "opposite," indicating that the meeting place will be somewhere high or elevated. Over time, the meaning of "up" has shifted, and it now simply serves as a conjunction, linking the words "meet" and "each other" or "again" in common verb phrases like "meet and greet" or "meet again." In summary, "meet up" is a concise and convenient way to express the idea of meeting someone at a specific place and time, and its origins stem from the Old English word "mittan," which developed into the Middle English word "meten," and was later enhanced by the addition of the word "up" to create a dynamic new expression for modern English speakers.