associative arrays

Hello: I have been programming php and javascript for some time. I have not come on a way to navigate upward in javascript objects (it does not have associative arrays but objects are often used in the same way associative arrays are used) I would like to find out if there is a way of navigating a multidimensional associate array upward: I.E.: From a child property/value to a parent property For instance: $sampleArray = []; $sampleArray['nuts'] = ['treeNuts'=>'walnut']; $sampleArray['fruit'] = ['notUsuallyFruit'=>['tomatoe'=>true, 'avacado'=>true, 'eggplant'=>true]]; How would I get from 'tomatoe' to 'notUsuallyFruit', to 'fruit' and find 'nuts'? Is there a parent property implicit in associative arrays in php? I see next and prev in the manual under array functions. But I don't see anything that suggests moving upward to find a parent and parent syblings. I written lots of recursive code to search from the root to the tips of the branches. To create a metaphor: it is like a squirrel jumps from another tree and lands on a branch. It can find its way to the trunk and to the ground. Thank you for time and attention JK