Sue
/suː/noun
To institute legal proceedings against someone or to make a formal petition or request.
Did you know?In older legal English, to sue originally meant simply to follow or pursue a claim in court, and the same root also gave English words tied to seeking and going after.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sekw-
“to follow, pursue”
Latin
Latin
sequi
“to follow”
Old French
Old French
suir / sue
“to follow; to pursue a claim”
Middle English
English
suen
“to follow up in court; to seek redress”
Modern English
English
sue
“to bring a lawsuit against someone”