Siguir

Siguir is an obscure term attested primarily in historical texts, where it appears as a variant spelling of the Spanish verb seguir. In those sources, siguir is used with the same range of meanings as seguir, including to follow, to pursue, and to continue. The form is not part of standard modern Spanish and is generally described by linguists as archaic or orthographic variant. Attestations date to the early modern period, roughly between the 15th and 17th centuries, when orthography was less standardized and scribes occasionally used alternate spellings that reflected pronunciation or regional practices.

Etymology traces siguir to the Latin sequī, the same root that underpins the modern form seguir. The replacement of “e” with “i” and the overall preservation of the key consonants suggests scribal variation rather than a semantic shift.

In scholarly contexts, siguir is discussed in studies of early modern Spanish orthography, palaeography, and lexicography. It is typically cited as an illustrative example of historical spelling variation rather than as a productive modern form. Contemporary dictionaries and language guides normalise all instances to seguir.

See also: seguir; historical orthography of Spanish; palaeography; Romance linguistics.