sue v.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to follow."

It forms all or part of: associate; association; consequence; consequent; dissociate; ensue; execute; extrinsic; intrinsic; obsequious; persecute; persecution; prosecute; pursue; second (adj.) "next after first;" second (n.) "one-sixtieth of a minute;" sect; secundine; segue; sequacious; sequel; sequence; sequester; sociable; social; society; socio-; subsequent; sue; suit; suite; suitor; tocsin.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit sacate "accompanies, follows;" Avestan hacaiti, Greek hepesthai "to follow;" Latin sequi "to follow, come after," secundus "second, the following;" Lithuanian seku, sekti "to follow;" Old Irish sechim "I follow."

c. 1400, "seek after, pursue; follow (a path)," from Old French ensu-, past participle stem of ensivre "follow close upon, come afterward," from Late Latin insequere, from Latin insequi "to pursue, follow, follow after; come next," from in- "upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow"). Early 15c. as "follow (as a consequence), to result;" mid-15c. as "to follow" in time or space, "to come or appear next, be subsequent to, happen subsequently." Related: Ensued; ensues; ensuing.