Apparently the merging of Old English folgian and fylgan, which is just fine because each of those came from the same root in Germanic, rather like one person splitting into two ghosts upon death, neither of whom can resolve until they re-merge. I have no idea where that notion came from, but believe me, it’s going right into my current story.

“Follow, V.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, December 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3260024005.

• 1.028 When the silence that followed had become uncomfortable,
• 2.111 They followed the tracks up the hill,
• 3.009 Altogether it was a very slow business following the track,
• 3.010 and they followed his lead,
• 3.050 and with a knowledge of the road they must follow
• 4.036 that followed were beyond description.
• 4.038 Follow me quick! said a voice fierce
• 4.044 in the tunnel they were following;
• 5.038 “
It comes first and follows after, “
• 5.108 then very cautiously he followed.
• 5.108 Perhaps if he followed him,
• 6.012 You shouted ‘follow me everybody!’
• 6.012 and everybody ought to have followed.
• 6.020 Then I followed him,
• 6.028 He followed after the drivers
• 6.067 at either hand leaped up to follow him.
• 7.012 which we should have been following,
• 7.045 Following him they found themselves
• 7.075 I followed down into the main hall,
• 7.087 and followed immediately after the other two.
• 7.117 I followed these as far as the Carrock.
• 7.117 By that time it was too late for me to follow them far.
• 7.125 and they followed round the house.
• 7.130 Had they followed the pass,
• 8.007 as days followed days,
• 8.029 was getting ready to follow,
• 8.035 in the following days.
• 8.103 They followed him
• 8.123 and followed them no more,
• 9.013 and following the guards
• 9.025 He followed the two elves,
• 9.028 You just follow me!
• 9.029 until his following had grown to twelve –
• 9.035 So following the hobbit,
• 9.053 “
Follow, follow stars that leap “
• 9.053 “
Follow, follow stars that leap “
• 10.003 which the dwarves had followed
• 10.028 Follow me then,’
• 11.008 They did not dare to follow the river
• 11.012 followed ever by croaking crows above them,
• 11.014 Following these excitedly he
• 13.047 Let us follow it!’
• 13.063 Let us follow Balin’s path!’
• 14.036 and go North with any that will follow me.’
• 14.038 and in the days that followed
• 15.005 but I cannot follow the speech of such birds,
• 15.033 and its defences soon followed them.
• 17.022 That shall follow after,
• 17.055 and his companions followed him.