Etymologically
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persequor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɛr.sɛ.kʷɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɛr.se.kʷor][1]

Forms

persequor (present infinitive persequī, perfect active persecūtus sum or persequūtus sum); third conjugation, deponent[1] A poet quoted by Cicero has the active imperative persece.[2]

Etymology

It is from per- “through” and sequor “to follow”.[3][1][4] De Vaan traces sequor to Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow, accompany”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of following all the way.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to follow persistently or all the way, to seek out, to trace a road to its end, to follow a pattern or someone's example, and to persist in a course of action, all in Plautus.[3] In Cicero it meant to pursue with hostile intent, hunt, to seek requital for wrongs, to keep pace with, as of a note-taker, and to go through a subject in speech or writing, and Terence used it of striving after something.[3]

It survives in Italian perseguire and Spanish perseguir.[1] Through Old French persécuter and directly from its participle persecūtus it gave English persecute in the mid-15th century.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of striving after.[3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of hostile pursuit.[3][6]
  • mid-15th century – English persecute is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To follow all the way; to seek out.[3]
  2. To pursue, chase.[3]
  3. To avenge; to prosecute.[3]
  4. To strive after.[3]
  5. To go through (in speech or writing).[3]
  6. To persist in; to follow (an example).[3]

Word family

  • persecūtiō
  • persecūtor
  • persecutrix
  • persequax
  • persector
  • persecūtus
  • persequēns

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de