Where does “following” come from?
Following derives from Middle English folwen, Old English folgian, Proto-West Germanic folgēn, and Proto-Germanic fullaz, tracing ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root pleh₁- meaning to fill or fulfill.
following (English): Coming next, either in sequence or in time; About...
Definitions
- Coming next, either in sequence or in time; About...
Ancestry of “following”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | follow | To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the... |
| 2 | Middle English | folwen | to follow |
| 3 | Old English | folġian | to follow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | folgēn | to follow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fulgāną | to follow |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fullaz | full; the whole, the entire |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |