An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/über

by Friedrich Kluge

über, preposition and adverb, ‘over, above,’ from the equivalent Middle High German über; Old High German ûbir, ubar, is a preposition with the adverbial form ubiri. Corresponding to Old Saxon oƀar, Dutch and English over, Anglo-Saxon ofer, Old Icelandic yfer, Gothic ufar, ‘over.’ This common Teutonic word is based on an equivalent Aryan upéri, which appears in Sanscrit upari, Greek ὑπέρ (ὑπείρ), Latin super. With these are connected the preposition auf, and ob (ober). Compare also übel.