sue
English
Etymology
From Middle English seuen, sewen, siwen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman suer, siwer et al. and Old French sivre (“to follow after”) (modern French suivre), from Vulgar Latin *sequere (“to follow”), from Latin sequi. Cognate with Italian seguire and Spanish seguir. Doublet of segue. Related to suit.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /suː/, (conservative) /sjuː/, (chiefly Wales) /sɪu̯/
Audio (US); [sɨu̯]: (file) - Rhymes: -uː
- Homophones: Sioux, sou, Su, Sue
Verb
sue (third-person singular simple present sues, present participle suing, simple past and past participle sued)
- (transitive) To file a legal action against someone, generally a non-criminal (civil) action.
- sue someone for selling a faulty product
- I plan to sue you for everything you have.
- 1897, Warren Bert Kimberly, “W. Horgan”, in History of West Australia:
- He was sued by the late Geo. Walpole Leake for slander, and after two trials, occupying eight days, he was mulcted in heavy damages and costs.
- (ambitransitive) To seek by request; to make application; to petition; to entreat; to plead.
- (transitive, falconry, of a hawk) To clean (the beak, etc.).
- (transitive, nautical) To leave high and dry on shore.[1]
- to sue a ship
- (obsolete, transitive) To court.
- (obsolete, transitive) To follow.
- 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum iv”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XIII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
- And the olde knyght seyde unto the yonge knyght, ‘Sir, swith me.’
- And the old knight said to the young knight, 'Sir, follow me'.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- though oft looking backward, well she vewd, / Her selfe freed from that foster insolent, / And that it was a knight, which now her sewd, / Yet she no lesse the knight feard, then that villein rude.
Quotations
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:sue.
Derived terms
- sue for peace
- sue me
- sue one's livery
- sue out
Related terms
English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sekʷ- (3 c, 0 e)
Translations
to file a legal action
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See also
References
- ^ 1841, Richard Henry Dana Jr., The Seaman's Friend
Anagrams
Ewe
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /suè/
Adjective
suè
French
Pronunciation
Verb
sue
- inflection of suer:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
- feminine singular past participle of savoir
Anagrams
Galician
Verb
sue
- (reintegrationist norm) inflection of suar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Italian
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsu.e/
- Rhymes: -ue
- Hyphenation: sù‧e
Adjective
sue
- plural of sua
Anagrams
Japanese
Romanization
sue
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈsu.ɛ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈsuː.e]
Verb
sue
- second-person singular present active imperative of suō
Noun
sue
- ablative singular of sūs
Middle English
Noun
sue
- alternative form of sowe
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈsu.i/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈsu.e/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈsu.ɨ/
- Hyphenation: su‧e
Verb
sue
- inflection of suar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Sardinian
Etymology
Inherited from Classical Latin sūs, suem, from Proto-Italic *sūs, derived from Proto-Indo-European *suH- (“pig, hog, swine”). Compare Nuorese sughe, Sassarese sua (dialectal sui).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsue/
Noun
sue f (plural sues) (Logudorese)
- sow (female pig)
- Synonyms: lòvia, tzotza
See also
References
- Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes
- Wagner, Max Leopold (1960–1964) “súe”, in Dizionario etimologico sardo, Heidelberg
Tarantino
Pronoun
sue m (possessive, feminine soje)