exsequi

Exsequi is a Latin verb meaning to follow or pursue, and to carry out or execute. It is a deponent verb of the third conjugation, so its forms appear with passive endings but active meaning. The principal parts are exsequor, exsequi, exsecutus sum; the infinitive is exsequi. The range of senses includes following a matter through to its conclusion, pursuing someone or something, and performing or fulfilling an order, judgment, or duty. It can also carry the nuance of accompanying or attending, in the sense of going after or with someone.

Etymology and related terms stem from ex- “out, forth” plus sequor “to follow,” giving rise to English cousins such as sequence, consecutive, and sequel. A closely related noun is exsequiae, meaning funeral rites performed after a death; the rites that follow the burial. In English, exsequi survives mainly in scholarly Latin contexts or legal-historical discourse, while its best-known English derivatives are exequy or exequies, referring to funeral ceremonies.

Usage and contexts: In classical and late antique Latin, exsequi often denotes pursuing an issue through to its end or carrying out a decree, sentence, or procedure. In modern reference works, the term appears chiefly in discussions of Latin grammar, philology, or historical law, rather than as a common English verb. The word illustrates how Latin roots related to following give rise to terms for both action and ceremony in Latin and in English.