Prosecute: English 'prosecute' and… | etymologist.ai
prosecute
/ˈprɒs.ɪ.kjuːt/·verb·15th century·Established
Origin
'Prosecute' and 'pursue' are doublets — same Latin verb, one through learnedborrowing, one through French.
Definition
To institute legal proceedings against someone; to continue with a course of action with a view to its completion.
The Full Story
Latin15th centurywell-attested
From Latin 'prōsecūtus,' past participle of 'prōsequī' (to follow forward, to pursue, to accompany, to carry on with), composed of 'prō-' (forward, onward) + 'sequī' (to follow), from PIE *sekw- (to follow, to pursue). To prosecute is literally 'to follow forward' — to pursue a case, a person, or a course of action to its conclusion, pressing onward without relenting. The original English sense (fifteenth century
Did you know?
English 'prosecute' and 'pursue' are doublets — both descend from Latin 'prōsequī' (to follow forward). 'Prosecute' came through the learned Latin route, while 'pursue' came through Old French 'porsivre/pursuer,' where the Latin word was worn down by centuries of French phonological change. Thesame Latin verb produced
), 'persecute' (follow through relentlessly), 'pursue' (via Old French 'porsivre'), 'sue' (to follow in court), 'suit' (what follows, a set, legal action), and 'ensue' (follow into). Through Latin 'socius' (companion, one who follows along) came 'social,' 'society,' 'associate,' and 'sociology.' The word 'second' also descends from *sekw- via Latin 'secundus' (following, next). Key roots: prō- (Latin: "forward, onward"), sequī (Latin: "to follow"), *sekw- (Proto-Indo-European: "to follow").