folgen German · revision 34870

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *fulgāną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfɔlɡŋ̩/, /ˈfɔlɡən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''folgen''' (third-person singular present folgt, past tense folgte, past participle gefolgt, auxiliary sein)^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 16th century the perfect was formed with ''haben'' and ''sein'' about equally often; since the 17th century ''haben'' has been rarer and mostly limited to the sense “to obey”.^(DWB2|9, 722)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|volgen]], [[inh|goh|folgēn]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*folgēn]], [[inh|gem-pro|*fulgāną|t=to follow]].^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Wiktionary) Old High German also had a rarer [[m|goh|folgōn]] (9th century).^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[osx|folgon]], [[non|fylgja]], [[ang|folgian]] and [[ofs|folgia]], and today [[nl|volgen]], [[en|follow]] and [[sv|följa]];^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|9, 722) Gothic used [[m|got|𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=laistjan]] instead (see [[leisten]]).^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|9, 722)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear, and no certain relatives outside Germanic are known.^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) [[cy|ôl|t=track]] would fit in meaning but is ambiguous in form; it would point to [[ine-pro|*polgʰ-]].^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993) Within Germanic, Kluge finds a link with the verb behind [[befehlen]], [[gem-pro|*felhaną]], most satisfying, from a root [[ine-pro|*pel-]], but notes that this is only a root etymology and that the meanings do not really match.^(Kluge 2011|308) Pfeifer reports the same idea with a development “to cover, protect, join someone's following”.^(Pfeifer 1993) Orel compares [[sla-pro|*pь̀lzati|t=to creep, crawl]].^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer also doubts that the verb was derived from a noun, since [[Folge]] is recorded late and is more likely formed from the verb.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''folgēn'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in the Benedictine Rule, Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and the Physiologus, meaning “to follow, accompany, serve, obey, agree with”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|108) The Tatian (about 830) says of Jesus coming down from the mountain: ''folgetun imo manege menigi'' “many crowds followed him”.^(DWB2|9, 722)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spatial sense “to go after” was transferred to succession in time (''am folgenden Tag'') and to logical consequence (''daraus folgt, dass …'').^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002) From the legal notion of following one's lord to war, Old High German already had the sense “to comply with, agree, obey”; the phrase ''Folge leisten'' first referred to obeying a court summons.^(Duden 7 2020) Paul also lists “to take the direction shown”, “to imitate” and “to do what someone advises”, as in ''einer Einladung folgen'', and the regional ''Folgt schön!'' said to children for “be good”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Derivatives date from various periods: [[Folge]] appears in the compound ''selbfolga'' “sect” (11th century), [[folglich]] and [[folgsam]] in the 17th century, [[befolgen]] in the 18th century, and [[folgenschwer]] in the 18th century as a loan translation of French ''gros de conséquences''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) ''Auf dem Fuß folgen'' “to follow immediately” goes back to Middle High German ''ze fuozen volgen''.^(Paul 2002) Recently it has been used for following an account on social media.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''folgēn'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 830 – The Tatian uses the verb for following Jesus.^(DWB2|9, 722)

+ * 9th century – A rarer form ''folgōn'' “to obey” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 11th century – ''selbfolga'' “sect” contains the noun ''Folge''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The perfect is still formed with ''haben'' and ''sein'' about equally often.^(DWB2|9, 722)

+ * 17th century – ''folglich'' and ''folgsam'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 18th century – ''befolgen'' and ''folgenschwer'' appear.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To go after, [[m|en|follow]] someone or something: ''der Hund folgte ihr bis zur Tür''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To come later, to join: ''ihr Mann folgte ihr nach Kanada''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To follow with [[m|en|understanding]], to attend to: ''einer Debatte folgen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To act as someone does, to go along with: ''einem Vorbild folgen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(with haben)'' To [[m|en|obey]]: ''der Junge hat nicht gefolgt''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To come next in order or time: ''auf den Winter folgt der Frühling''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # To [[m|en|result]] logically: ''daraus folgt, dass …''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(social media)'' To follow an account.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Folge]]

+ * [[folgend]]

+ * [[folglich]]

+ * [[folgsam]]

+ * [[folgern]]

+ * [[Folgerung]]

+ * [[folgenschwer]]

+ * [[befolgen]]

+ * [[erfolgen]]

+ * [[Erfolg]]

+ * [[verfolgen]]

+ * [[nachfolgen]]

+ * [[Gefolge]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aufeinanderfolgen]]

+ * [[befehlen]]

+ * [[leisten]]

+ * [[en|follow]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}