Etymologically
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poursuivre

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /puʁ.sɥivʁ/[1]

Forms

poursuivre[1] Old French porsivre, pursivre, porsuir and many other spellings until the 16th century, poursuivre from the 13th century.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French porsivre, inherited from Late Latin prōsequor (“to follow, accompany; to prosecute (a case)”), reshaped after pour and suivre.[4][5][1][6] The Late Latin verb is found in the 6th century in the Salic Law, in “prosequi causam” “to bring a suit”, Vulgar and early Medieval Latin also have the forms “prosevere” and “prosequire”.[4][1] The Grand Robert, the GLLF and Littré instead analyse it as from French pour- + suivre, with “pour-” as an intensive prefix.[3][2][7]

Old French also had parsivre, persuir, from Latin persequor (“to pursue, persecute”), which influenced the meaning; most other Romance languages continue that verb: Italian perseguire, Occitan persegre, Spanish perseguir.[1][5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Roman d'Eneas (about 1160) uses it for following someone, usually enemies, closely in order to catch them.[4]

Semantic evolution

By about 1170 it meant to persecute (the Livre des Rois), and about 1228 to pester someone for something; about 1260–72 it is used of a man pressing his attentions on a woman.[4] In law poursuivre meant to take action against someone from 1271.[4]

From the 13th century it also meant to keep on with something already begun (poursuivre son chemin); Molière used it absolutely for going on with a story (1655).[4][2][9] With a thing as subject it meant to keep tormenting someone (late 13th century), and se poursuivre to go on in time (1268).[4] The present participle poursuivant became a noun for a herald's assistant (1318–20), a suitor and later, in cycling, a pursuit rider (1919).[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1160 – To chase enemies, Roman d'Eneas.[4]
  • c. 1170 – To persecute, Livre des Rois.[4]
  • 1268 – Se poursuivre “to continue”.[4]
  • 1271 – To prosecute.[4]
  • 1655 – To continue a story, Molière.[4][9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pursue, chase: poursuivre les fugitifs, se poursuivre, to chase one another.[5][1]
  2. To haunt, torment, persecute: ce souvenir le poursuit, poursuivre qqn de sa haine.[1][5]
  3. To pursue (an aim): poursuivre un but.[5][2]
  4. To continue, carry on (with): poursuivre ses études, (absolute) to go on speaking.[1][4]
  5. (law) To prosecute, sue: poursuivre qqn en justice.[1][4]
  6. Se poursuivre: to go on, continue.[1][4]

Word family

  • poursuite
  • poursuivant

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 465a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF