sequax

Forms

sequāx (genitive sequācis); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sequor (“to follow”) + -āx.^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces sequor to Proto-Italic *sekʷ-e/o- (“to follow”) and Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-e/o- (“to follow, accompany”), cognate with Sanskrit सचते (sácate, “to follow”), Ancient Greek ἕπομαι (hépomai, “to follow”) and Lithuanian sèkti (“to follow”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler find it first in Lucretius.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

It is mostly poetic, and Lewis & Short call it a favourite word of Virgil, who has the Arcadians turning their backs to the pursuing Latins.^[5] The Culex has a crowd of beasts following Orpheus' voice.^[2] Manilius uses it with a genitive, of those who are given to wine and love.^[2] Of materials it means pliant and responsive, as Ovid's horse whose neck yields to the bit.^[2] In medieval Latin the noun sequāx is a follower or partisan, a disciple, a dependant and a successor.^[6]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius has the adjective.^[4][3]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil, of pursuers.^[5][3]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid, of a horse that answers the bit.^[2][3]
• 1st century AD – Manilius, “given to” wine and love.^[2][3]
• Medieval Latin – A follower, a disciple, a successor.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Following closely or eagerly, pursuing.^[2][5][1][7]
2. With a genitive, given to, addicted to.^[2]
3. Of materials, pliant, tractable.^[2][1]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A follower, partisan; a disciple; a dependant; a successor.^[6]

Word family

• sequācitās

Related words

• sequor
• secta
• sector²
• secundus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson