Following
/ˈfɑː.loʊ.ɪŋ/noun
Coming after in time, order, or sequence; also accompanying or pursuing.
Did you know?English following comes from the same ancient root as words for a flock and a crowd, because the idea was originally not just “after” but “moving in a group behind something.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to drive, strike, thrust; to make move forward”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fulgōną
“to follow, pursue”
Old English
English
folgian
“to follow, accompany, pursue”
Old English
English
following
“pursuing; coming after”
Middle English
English
following
“coming after in order or time; accompanying”
Modern English
English
following
“coming after in sequence, time, or order; accompanying”