sequor

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *sekʷōr, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Cognates include Sanskrit सचते (sácate), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬗𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬉 (hacaitē) and Ancient Greek ἕπομαι (hépomai).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈse.kʷor/, [ˈs̠ɛkʷɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈse.kwor/, [ˈsɛːkwor]

Verb

sequor (present infinitive sequī, perfect active secūtus sum); third conjugation, deponent

1. (with accusative) to follow, to come or go after, to pursue

   Synonyms: persequor, cōnsequor, īnsequor, īnsector, continuō, excipiō, exsequor, agō, premō, īnstō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 3.188:

     Cēdāmus Phoebō et monitī meliōra sequāmur.

     Let us yield to Phoebus, and having been warned follow better things.

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.20:

     Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor.

     I see, and I desire the better: I follow the worse.

   • 234 BCE – 149 BCE, Cato the Elder :

     Rem tene, verba sequentur.

     Grasp the subject, the words will follow.

2. to accede to, to conform to
3. to attend, accompany

   Synonyms: comitō, exsequor, cōnsequor

4. to succeed (i.e., follow in position)

   Synonyms: subeō, succēdō, excipiō

5. (logic, third person) to follow, ensue

Usage notes

The verb ducere is used for "to be followed," effectively giving ducere two passives, this verb being one of them.

In later Latin, an active voice was invented for "to follow," leading to the passive forms being relegated to "to be followed."

Conjugation

Conjugation of sequor (third conjugation, deponent)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	sequor	sequeris, sequere	sequitur	sequimur	sequiminī	sequuntur
	imperfect	sequēbar	sequēbāris, sequēbāre	sequēbātur	sequēbāmur	sequēbāminī	sequēbantur
	future	sequar	sequēris, sequēre	sequētur	sequēmur	sequēminī	sequentur
	perfect	secūtus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	secūtus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	secūtus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	sequar	sequāris, sequāre	sequātur	sequāmur	sequāminī	sequantur
	imperfect	sequerer	sequerēris, sequerēre	sequerētur	sequerēmur	sequerēminī	sequerentur
	perfect	secūtus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	secūtus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	sequere	—	—	sequiminī	—
	future	—	sequitor	sequitor	—	—	sequuntor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		sequī	secūtum esse	secūtūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		sequēns	secūtus	secūtūrus	—	—	sequendus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		sequendī	sequendō	sequendum	sequendō	secūtum	secūtū

Derived terms

• assequor
• cōnsequor
• exsequor
• nōn sequitur
• obsequor
• persequor
• prōsequor
• resequor
• sector
• secundus
• secūtor
• sequester
• sequāx
• sequēla
• sequēns
• subsequor
• īnsequor

 

Related terms

• secus
• socius

Descendants

• Old French: segre, siure, sivre, siudre; suiant, sivant; sieute, suite
  • Bourguignon: seugre
  • Gallo: sieude
  • → Middle English: suant, suit
    • English: sue; suant; suit
  • Middle French: suyvre
    • French: suivre; suite
      • → English: suite
  • Picard: suire
  • Norman: sieuvre, suuvre
  • Walloon: shuve
• Italian: seguire
  • → English: segue
• Old Occitan:
  • Catalan: seguir
  • Occitan: seguir, sègre
• Old Galician-Portuguese: seguir
  • Galician: seguir
  • Portuguese: seguir
    • → Papiamentu: sigui
• Sardinian: sichire
• Sicilian: sicutari (from *sequitare)
• Spanish: seguir
• → Esperanto: sekvi

References

• “sequor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “sequor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• sequor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to follow in any one's steps: vestigia alicuius sequi, persequi or vestigiis aliquem sequi, persequi
    
  • to court a person's favour; to ingratiate oneself with..: gratiam alicuius sibi quaerere, sequi, more strongly aucupari
    
  • to be a lover of ease, leisure: otium sequi, amplexari
    
  • to adopt some one's opinion: ad alicuius sententiam accedere, sententiam alicuius sequi
    
  • to try to conjecture probabilities: probabilia coniectura sequi
    
  • my intention is..: id sequor, ut
    
  • to be guided by another's example: auctoritatem alicuius sequi
    
  • to be a follower, disciple of some one: sectam alicuius sequi (Brut. 31. 120)
    
  • it follows from this that..: sequitur (not ex quo seq.) ut
    
  • to hold by the letter (of the law): verba ac litteras or scriptum (legis) sequi (opp. sententia the spirit)
    
  • to strive to attain virtue: virtutem sequi, virtutis studiosum esse
    
  • to follow fixed principles of conduct: certas rationes in agendo sequi
    
  • to embrace the cause of..., be a partisan of..: alicuius partes (causam) or simply aliquem sequi
    
  • to be neutral: neutram partem sequi
    
  • to follow the standards: signa sequi (opp. a signis discedere, signa relinquere)