Words That Follow Sequi

Words That Follow Sequi Words That Follow Sequi Words That Follow Sequi By Mark Nichol The Latin verb sequi, meaning â€Å"follow,† is the source of a diverse array of words pertaining to â€Å"going after† in one way or another. This post lists and defines the term’s descendants. Sequel, originally meaning â€Å"retinue† and later coming to mean â€Å"result,† came from a Latin term meaning â€Å"that which follows.† The dominant modern sense, that of â€Å"a continuation of a story,† is nearly as old; prequel is a recent coinage created on the model of sequel to refer to a story that predates a related tale in an overarching narrative but was created first. Sequence originally denoted liturgical verses that followed others; later, the word came to mean â€Å"series† or â€Å"continuity or order of events,† as well as â€Å"result.† The prevailing adjectival form is sequential, though sequent also exists. Consequent is the adjective form of consequence, which literally means â€Å"follows with† and refers to a result (often, an unfortunate one); the adverbial form is consequently. (Consequence also means â€Å"importance,† as in â€Å"a man of some consequence,† from the idea of something significant having multiple consequences.) Subsequent (â€Å"follows closely†), with the same transformations to other parts of speech, is generally more neutral in connotation and pertains more to chronology than to outcome. Segue, originally an instruction, meaning â€Å"now follows,† in a musical score, came to mean â€Å"smooth transition† and usually refers to such an event in communication or the media, as when someone effortlessly changes the subject of a conversation by bringing up a related topic, or when one filmed scene shifts to another with little or no disruption. The adjective obsequious refers to someone who is overly attentive so as to gain favor; a sequacious person lacks independent or original thought. (The latter term is much more rare than the former.) The noun forms are, respectively, obsequiousness and sequaciousness (or sequacity); adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the respective adjectives. Sequitur, adopted directly from Latin, means â€Å"consequence†; it is used rarely, though it appears in the common term â€Å"non sequitur,† describing something that does not logically follow from what occurred or was said before. Sequester originally meant â€Å"mediate† and later come to mean â€Å"place in safekeeping† and then â€Å"isolate.† (Sequestration is a legal procedure or a chemical process.) Persecute and prosecute both mean â€Å"follow,† but persecution is persistent harassment or punishment, whereas prosecution is performance or pursuit as a duty, especially as in the context of bringing legal action or instituting legal proceedings, though originally the former term had a legal sense as well. Pursue (the noun form is pursuit) is descended from prosecute- not persecute- by way of French and originally referred to following someone with antagonistic intent; it still means â€Å"chase,† but often refers simply to following an inclination, as in â€Å"He intends to pursue a medical degree.† One who pursues is a pursuer; pursuant is a rare variant that also serves as an adjective, usually in legislative documents. An associated word that may not be immediately apparent as such is, regardless, right there in pursuit: suit. The sense of â€Å"a set of clothing† for suit derives from the matching uniforms of a suite, or retinue; suite, by extension, came to also mean a set of things in general, especially a grouping of rooms or a series of musical compositions. The legal sense of suit (often referred to as a lawsuit) shares the â€Å"set† sense from the notion of being part of a retinue attending (following) one’s lord at court; courtiers would present a suit to obtain consideration from their superior. A suitor, therefore, is a party in a suit, or a petitioner, or one who seeks to take over a business or who courts a woman. To sue is to carry out a suit or to plead; the word is obsolete as a synonym for woo. (The name Sue, an abbreviation of Susan, ultimately from Hebrew and meaning â€Å"lily,† is unrelated.) Ensue originally meant â€Å"follow† or â€Å"seek†; it retains only the former sense. Two other words whose derivation from sequi may not be apparent are sect, which pertains to a group within a religion with distinctive beliefs or observances, and execute, which means â€Å"follow up,† though it also developed the sense of â€Å"carry out capital punishment† from a legal sense of â€Å"passing judgment.† Sequin, a word for a small, shiny ornament often used on clothing, is unrelated; it derives ultimately from an Arabic term pertaining to minting currency, from the resemblance of a sequin to a gold coin. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" In Search of a 4-Dot EllipsisPeople vs. Persons