The phrase "following which" is commonly used in writing, but its spelling can be tricky. To break it down phonetically, "following" is pronounced as "fɑl.oʊ.ɪŋ" with stress on the first syllable. The "ow" sound is created by the letter combination "ow." "Which" is pronounced as "wɪtʃ" with a short I sound and a hard CH. When spelled out, the phrase can be easier to remember and avoid misspellings or confusion with similar phrases like "following that" or "following this."
Following which is a conjunction that is commonly used to express a relationship of cause and effect or sequence between two clauses or ideas. It is typically used to introduce a clause that is the result or consequence of what was stated in the previous clause.
In this context, "following" refers to something that comes after or follows in order, and "which" is a relative pronoun used to introduce a subordinate clause. When combined as "following which", the phrase acts as an adverbial phrase indicating a causal or sequential relationship between the two clauses.
For example, consider the sentence, "John finished his project, following which he celebrated his success." In this case, "following which" signifies that John celebrated his success as a direct consequence of finishing his project. It denotes the order in which events occurred, with the subordinate clause clarifying the cause-and-effect relationship.
"Following which" can also be used to introduce a clause that provides additional information or clarification about what was mentioned previously. For instance, "Samantha bought all the ingredients for the recipe, following which she began cooking." Here, the phrase indicates that Samantha's decision to begin cooking came after she had purchased all the necessary ingredients.
Overall, "following which" serves as a connective phrase highlighting the relationship between two clauses, emphasizing causation, sequence, or additional information.
The phrase "following which" does not have a specific etymology of its own, as it is a combination of two separate words: "following" and "which". Nevertheless, we can look at the origins of each word to understand their meaning when used together.
1. Following: The term "following" comes from the Old English word "folgian", which means "to accompany", "pursue", or "go after". Over time, it evolved to mean "comes next" or "subsequent to".
2. Which: The word "which" originated from the Old English word "hwilc", meaning "which" or "what". It is a combination of "hwā" (who) and "līc" (body, shape). "Which" is used to present a choice between two or more possibilities or to provide additional information about something previously mentioned.