zufolge

Zufolge is a rarely attested term in German and does not function as a standard lexical item in contemporary usage. In modern writing, it is not commonly listed in dictionaries, and when it appears it is usually in historical texts, legal archives, or as a proper name rather than as a productive word.

Origin and status: Linguists generally treat zufolge as archaic or regional. It is sometimes described as a variant form related to the noun Folge (consequence, sequence) or as an old spelling variant of infolge, meaning “as a result of.” Because attestations are limited and interpretations vary, zufolge is not regarded as a current, productive element of the German language in standard reference works.

Usage and appearances: In surviving sources, occurrences of zufolge tend to be found in older documents or texts with older orthographic practices. Modern German typically expresses the idea of consequence with infolge or folglich, or introduces a list with wie folgt. If zufolge appears, it should be treated as historical or dialectal rather than as a living usage.

Relation to similar terms: Related and more common forms include infolge (as a result of), folglich (consequently), and wie folgt (as follows). These terms serve the same semantic function in contemporary German where zufolge is not used in everyday language.

See also: infolge, folglich, wie folgt.