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Origin and history of pursue

pursue(v.)

late 13c., "follow with hostile intent, follow with a view of overtaking," from Anglo-French pursuer and directly from Old French poursuir (Modern French poursuivre), variant of porsivre "to chase, pursue, follow; continue, carry on," from Vulgar Latin *prosequare, from Latin prosequi "follow, accompany, attend; follow after, escort; follow up, pursue," from pro- "forward" (see pro-) + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").

The meaning "to proceed, to follow" (a path, etc.), usually figurative (in reference to a course of action, etc.), is from late 14c. This sense also was in Latin. The meaning "seek, seek to obtain" also is late 14c. Related: Pursued; pursuing. For sense, compare prosecute.

also from late 13c.

Entries linking to pursue

prosecute(v.)

early 15c., prosecuten, "to follow up, pursue with a view to carry out or obtain" (some course or action), from Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi "follow after, accompany; chase, pursue; attack, assail, abuse," from pro- "forward" (see pro-) + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow"). Meaning "bring to a court of law, seek to obtain by legal process" is recorded from 1570s. The Latin verb in Old French became prosequer, vulgarly porsuir, which passed to English as pursue.

pursual(n.)

"act of pursuit, pursuance," 1786, from pursue + -al (2). Earlier was pursuance and the verbal noun pursuing "action of giving chase" (late 14c.).

  • pursuance
  • pursuant
  • pursuer
  • pursuit
  • sue
  • pro-
  • *sekw-
  • See All Related Words (9)
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More to explore

pursuance
"act of following or pursuing," 1590s, from French poursuiance "act of pursuing," from Old French poursuir "to chase, pursue, follow; continue, carry on" (see pursue). Pursuance is not now used except in the moral sense, and then generally in the sense of following out : as, pur
pursuant
late 14c., "done in consequence of or in prosecution of something," from Anglo-French pursuant, from Old French poursuiant, porsivant, present participle of porsuir, porsivre "chase, pursue" (see pursue). Meaning "carrying out; following, according" is from 1690s. As an adverb, "
pursuit
late 14c., "persecution" (a sense now obsolete), also "a chase with hostile intent," from Anglo-French purseute, pursuite, Old French porsuite "a search, pursuit" (14c., Modern French poursuite), from porsivre (see pursue). Meaning "action of following briskly for the purpose of
persecute
oppress for the holding of an opinion or adherence to a particular creed or mode of worship," from Old French persécuter "pursue..., torment, open legal action" (14c.) and directly from Latin persecutus, past participle of persequi "to follow, pursue,...
ensue
c. 1400, "seek after, pursue; follow (a path)," from Old French ensu-, past participle stem of ensivre "follow close upon..., come afterward," from Late Latin insequere, from Latin insequi "to pursue, follow, follow after; come next," from in- "...
stalk
[pursue stealthily] Middle English stalken, "walk cautiously or stealthily, step quietly and softly," from Old English -stealcian...It was used by late 14c. in reference to persons approached cautiously; by 1823 as "pursue (game) by stealthy approach."...
persevere
"to persist in what one has undertaken, to pursue steadily a design or course," late 14c., perseveren, from Old French perseverer...
search
c. 1300, serchen, "go through and examine carefully and in detail" (transitive), from Old French cerchier "to search" (12c., Modern French chercher), from Latin circare "go about, wander, traverse," in Late Latin "to wander hither and thither, go round, explore," from circus "cir
chaser
c. 1300, "horse trained for chasing," agent noun from chase (v.), probably in some cases from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter." The meaning "water or mild beverage taken after a strong drink" is by 1894, U.S. colloquial. French had chasse (from chasser "to chase") "a drink o
haunt
early 13c., "to practice habitually, busy oneself with, take part in," from Old French hanter "to frequent, visit regularly; have to do with, be familiar with; indulge in, cultivate" (12c.), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse heimta "bring home," from Proto-Germanic *hai

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Dictionary entries near pursue
  • purse-seine
  • purslane
  • pursual
  • pursuance
  • pursuant
  • pursue
  • pursuer
  • pursuit
  • purty
  • purulent
  • purvey
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