"act of pursuit, pursuance," 1786, from pursue + -al (2). Earlier was pursuance and the verbal noun pursuing "action of giving chase" (late 14c.).
Entries linking to pursual
pursue v.
late 13c., "follow with hostile intent, follow with a view of overtaking," from Anglo-French pursuer and directly from Old French poursuir (Modern French poursuivre), variant of porsivre "to chase, pursue, follow; continue, carry on," from Vulgar Latin *prosequare, from Latin prosequi "follow, accompany, attend; follow after, escort; follow up, pursue," from pro- "forward" (see pro-) + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").
The meaning "to proceed, to follow" (a path, etc.), usually figurative (in reference to a course of action, etc.), is from late 14c. This sense also was in Latin. The meaning "seek, seek to obtain" also is late 14c. Related: Pursued; pursuing. For sense, compare prosecute.
-al 2
suffix forming nouns of action from verbs, mostly from Latin and French, meaning "act of ______ing" (such as survival, referral), Middle English -aille, from French feminine singular -aille, from Latin -alia, neuter plural of adjective suffix -alis, also used in English as a noun suffix. Nativized in English and used with Germanic verbs (as in bestowal, betrothal).
pursuance n.
"act of following or pursuing," 1590s, from French poursuiance "act of pursuing," from Old French poursuir "to chase, pursue, follow; continue, carry on" (see pursue).
Pursuance is not now used except in the moral sense, and then generally in the sense of following out : as, pursuance of his original intention ; in pursuance of a peculiar theory. [Century Dictionary]