követje

Követje is a historical or dialectal Hungarian noun that denotes a person who accompanies and serves a higher authority, effectively a member of a retinue or an attendant. The term is derived from the verb követni, to follow, and is marked by an archaic agent-form ending that is not productive in modern Hungarian. In medieval and early modern sources the word appears in phrases describing a ruler’s entourage, though exact usage varies by text and region.

In contemporary Hungarian, more common words are követő, meaning a follower, and kíséret, meaning an escort or retinue. These terms cover the practical sense of someone who accompanies or serves a person of importance, whereas követje is now considered archaic or limited to historical and dialectal contexts. Because of its rarity in modern language, követje is mainly encountered in historical chronicles, literary works emulating older forms, or discussions of past social structures.

Semantic range and usage: as a noun, követje would designate an individual within a group that follows or attends a higher status figure, such as a noble, monarch, or envoy, but the exact role could include attendants, guards, messengers, or other members of an entourage depending on the source. The term is not tied to a fixed occupational title in modernHungarian practice, where more precise terms are preferred.

See also: követő, kíséret, udvarhűség, udvartartás, és követség (envoy and related concepts in historical contexts).