ensue (v.)

c. 1400, "seek after, pursue; follow (a path)," from Old French ensu-, past participle stem of ensivre "follow close upon, come afterward," from Late Latin insequere, from Latin insequi "to pursue, follow, follow after; come next," from in- "upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow"). Early 15c. as "follow (as a consequence), to result;" mid-15c. as "to follow" in time or space, "to come or appear next, be subsequent to, happen subsequently." Related: Ensued; ensues; ensuing.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to ensue

insue (v.)

obsolete form of ensue. Related: Insued; insuing.

sue (v.)

late 13c., seuen, "follow after, walk behind," a sense now obsolete, from Anglo-French suer "follow after, continue," Old French suir, sivre "pursue, follow after; sue in court" (Modern French suivre), from Vulgar Latin *sequere "follow," from Latin sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").

It is attested from c. 1300 as "strive, endeavor, try to get;" also "continue, persevere."

The sense of "start a lawsuit against, seek justice or right from by legal process" is from c. 1300, on the notion of "following" a matter legally in court. The meaning "plead for love; make entreaty, petition, plead" (usually with for) is from late 14c.

Sometimes in early use it is short for ensue or pursue. In 14c. the Wise Men sued the Star of Bethlehem (Mirk's Festival), using the word in its older sense. Middle English senses, now obsolete, included "chase," of hounds tracking game; "be a companion to or disciple of." Related: Sued; suing.

*en

*sekw-

See all related words (4) >

Trends of ensue

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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result

early 15c., resulten, "occur as a result, arise as a consequence of facts, arguments, etc.," from Latin resultare "to spring forward, rebound" (in Medieval Latin "to result"), a frequentative from the past participle of resilire "to rebound" (see resilience). The etymological sen

pan

n.1)), a figurative use from early firearms, where a pan held the priming (and the gunpowder might "flash," but no shot ensue...

miscegenation

obnoxious to the great mass of the community, and which would, of course, be used in the political canvass which was to ensue...

come

elementary intransitive verb of motion, Old English cuman "to move with the purpose of reaching, or so as to reach, some point; to arrive by movement or progression;" also "move into view, appear, become perceptible; come to oneself, recover; arrive; assemble" (class IV strong ve

luster

"gloss, radiance, quality of shining by reflecting light," 1520s, from French lustre "gloss, radiance" (14c.), common Romanic (cognates: Spanish and Portuguese lustre, Rumanian lustru, Italian lustro "splendor, brilliancy"), a noun ultimately from Latin lustrare "spread light ove

rustle

"to emit soft, rapid sounds when in motion," late 14c. (implied in rustling "moving about noisily"), a word of uncertain origin, perhaps imitative (compare Middle Low German ruschen, Middle Dutch ruusscen, German rauschen "to rustle"). Related: Rustled; rustling. The meaning "ste

sutler

formerly also suttler, "person who follows an army to sell provisions, liquor, etc. to soldiers," 1580s, from Middle Dutch soeteler "small tradesman, peddler, victualer, camp cook" (Dutch zoetelaar), cognate with Middle Low German suteler, sudeler "person who performs dirty tasks

prove

c. 1200, prēven, pruven, proven "to try by experience or by a test or standard; evaluate; demonstrate in practice," from Old French prover, pruver "show; convince; put to the test" (11c., Modern French prouver), from Latin probare "to make good; esteem, represent as good; make cr

Middle English folwen, from Old English folgian, fylgian, fylgan "to accompany (especially as a disciple), move in the same direction as; follow after, pursue, move behind in the same direction," also "obey (a rule or law), conform to, act in accordance with; apply oneself to (a

innocent

mid-14c., "doing no evil; free from sin, guilt, or moral wrong," from Old French inocent "harmless; not guilty; pure" (12c.), from Latin innocentem (nominative innocens) "not guilty, blameless; harmless; disinterested," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + nocentem (nominative nocens),

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updated on September 28, 2017

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