Where does “följa efter” come from?

följa efter (Swedish) comes from Swedish efter, from Old Norse eptir, from Proto-Norse ᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱ, from Proto-Germanic after, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros — further behind, further away.

följa efter (Swedish): to follow (someone or something ahead), (sometimes) to go after, to pursue

Definitions

  1. to follow (someone or something ahead), (sometimes) to go after, to pursue

Ancestry of “följa efter”, step by step

följa efter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish efter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishefterafter; subsequent; later in time than "or" later...
2Old Norseeptirafter; afterwards; along
3Proto-Norseᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱafter
4Proto-Germanicafterafter, behind
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epoterosfurther behind, further away

via Swedish följa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishföljafollow; to go after; follow; to be the next in a...
2Old Swedishfylghiato follow; to accompany; to seek, to aim at
3Old Norsefylgjacompanionship; kind of guardian angel, guardian...
4Proto-Germanicfulgijanąto follow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoterosEvery word from Proto-Germanic afterEvery word from Proto-Norse ᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱ