The commonly used phrase "give chase" refers to the act of pursuing someone or something. The spelling of these words is straightforward - "give" is pronounced /ɡɪv/ while "chase" is pronounced /tʃeɪs/. The letter "g" in "give" is voiced, while the letter "c" in "chase" is pronounced with an affricate sound. When pronounced together, "give chase" is pronounced as /ɡɪv tʃeɪs/. As a common phrase in English, "give chase" is easy to spell and understand.
The phrase "give chase" refers to the act of pursuing or actively following someone or something in order to capture, apprehend, or catch up with them. The term is often associated with situations where an individual or a group of individuals, such as law enforcement officers or hunters, relentlessly pursue a target that is attempting to flee.
To "give chase" typically implies a sense of urgency and determination, where the pursuer is committed to catching or confronting their target. It involves actively engaging in a pursuit by swiftly moving in the direction of the target, often in an attempt to close the distance between them. The phrase can be used both in literal and figurative contexts.
In a literal sense, "give chase" can be used to describe situations where a person physically runs after someone, such as a police officer chasing a suspect or a dog chasing a squirrel. In a figurative sense, it can refer to non-physical pursuits, such as attempting to catch up with an opportunity or racing against time to achieve a goal.
Overall, "give chase" emphasizes the action of pursuing someone or something relentlessly, driven by the intention to capture or confront the target. It signifies an active, determined, and often relentless pursuit in order to seize or apprehend.
The phrase "give chase" comes from the Middle English word "chacen" which means "to hunt or pursue". This word has its origins in the Old French word "chacier" with the same meaning. The French term in turn derives from the Late Latin word "captiare", meaning "to capture or hunt", which is derived from the Latin word "captare" meaning "to seize or catch". So, "give chase" essentially evolved from the act of chasing or pursuing something or someone.