rise, ascend, liter

升 is composed of a variant of 斗 (dipper) with an added dot. 斗 is a long-handled ladle used for scooping wine. Therefore, 升 conveys the idea of adding wine with a ladle; as the wine in the container increases, the liquid level rises upward. Thus, 升 means to rise from below to above, and is also used as a unit for measuring capacity.