forlætan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fralētaną, equivalent to for- +‎ lǣtan. Cognate with Old High German firlāzzan, Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (fralētan). Compare Icelandic forláta (“to forsake”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /forˈlæː.tɑn/

Verb

forlǣtan

1. to leave

   Hē forlēt þæt hūs for þrim tīdum.

   He left the house three hours ago.

   • Life of St. Guthlac

     Wilfriþ cwæþ þæt hē forlēte his twā glōfan on þām sċipe.

     Wilfrid said he left his two gloves on the ship.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "St. Benedict, Abbot"

     Gang nū tō mynstre ġif þū mæġe, and mē āna forlǣt.

     Now go to the monastery if you can, and leave me alone.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Clement the Martyr"

     Þæt cild þære meder geandwyrde, "Modor min, nyste ic hú ðyses geares ymryne geendode, forðan ðe ic softum slǣpe me gereste, swa swa ðu me forlēte, oð þæt þu eft me nu awrehtest."

     The child answered the mother, "My mother, I know not how this year's course has ended, for I was resting in soft sleep, as thou didst leave me, until thou now again hast awakened me."

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Purification of St. Mary"

     Uton fon nu on þæt godspel ðær we hit ær forlēton.

     Let us now resume the gospel where we previously left it.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Andrew the Apostle"

     Petrus and Andreas, be Cristes hæse, ðærrihte forleton heora nett, and him fyligdon.

     Peter and Andrew, by Christ's behest, straightways left their nets, and followed him.

2. to abandon, desert, forsake

   Hwæder wilt þū þæt iċ gā? On forlǣten īeġland?

   Where do you want me to go? To a deserted island?

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Agnes, Virgin"

     Ic wat þæt god nele me næfre forlætan...

     I know that God will never forsake me,..

3. to quit
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

     Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

     Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.'

4. to allow
5. to stop an action
6. to lose something
   • early 12th century, note from a scribe to his apprentice, written on a copy of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care

     Wrīt þus oþþe bet oþþe þīne hȳd forlǣt.

     Write like this or better or lose your skin.

   • c. 900, Werferth, translation of the Dialogues of Gregory

     Sum mann forlēt his ēagena ġesihte.

     Someone lost his eyesight.

Conjugation

Descendants

• Middle English: forleten
  • English: forlet
  • Scots: forleet