Lǽtan

According to the Old English Dictionary:

lǽtan

Add: I. trans. (1) to leave, allow to remain, abstain from taking away. (a) with noun object :-- Hé on fæstre stówe lét sum his folc, Ors. 4, 9 ; S. 190, 1. Hié þone óþerne dǽl þǽr léton þæt lond tó healdonne, 1, 10 ; S. 46, 21. Hwilce hwíle hine wille Drihten hér on worlde lǽtan, Bl. H. 125, 9. Þú ne scealt nánnæ cláð betweón lǽtan þínum eágum and hym, Solil. H. 43, 16. (b) with clause :-- Lǽt þé on gemyndum (keep in mind) hú þæt manegum wearð gefrége, An. 962. (1 α) to loose one's hold of, let go :-- Hé hǽt fealdan ꝥ segl, and eác hwílum lecgan þone mæst and lǽtan þa bǽtinge, Bt. 41, 3; F. 250, 15. (2) to leave undone, unaffected, &c. :-- Gif preóst óðerne un-warnode lǽte, Ll. Th. ii. 294, 25 : 296, 15. Hit is wóh ꝥ hí mon lǽte unwítnode . . . ðú ǽr cwǽde ꝥ hé unriht dyde, ꝥ hé léte unwítnod þá yfelan, Bt. 38, 3; F. 202, 6-13. Lǽtan wrǽce stille, Gú. 170. (2 a) intrans. To desist from :-- On þane .VII. dæg lét Drehten fram ǽghwilcum weorce, Wlfst. 218, 26. His sunu féng tó his eorldóme and lét of ðan þe hé ǽr hæfde, Chr. 1053 ; P. 182, 26. Lǽtan desistamus, An. Ox. 56, 320. (3) to leave the control or management of something to some one else :-- Þú þonne lǽtst eal eówer færeld tó þæs windes dóme, Bt. 7, 2; F. 18, 32. Ne lǽt ðú tó aldiódgium ðínne weorðscipe ne des alienis honorem tuum, Past. 249, 10. Þonne sceal ic beó þæs geðafa and létan hyt tó þínum dóme, Solil. H. 32, 19. Ic hæbbe ealle þá spǽce tó Ælfhége lǽten, Cht. Th. 208, 32. (4) to leave to an heir, bequeath :-- Míne sibbe ic lǽte eów, Past. 351, 12. Eallne þone welan hí lǽtað (lǽfað, ) fræmdum tó brúcanne alienum censum nutrit heredi, Bt. 11, 1 ; F. 32, 7. (5) to quit, abandon :-- Wuton cunnian hwænne hine God lǽte Deus dereliquit eum, Ps. Th. 70, 10. Hé sceal lǽtan his wyrignesse and lufian his gebedu, Wlfst. 239, 19. Beódan Abrahame of eorðscræfe ǽrist fremman, lǽtan landreste, An. 782. (6) to allow or cause the escape of a confined fluid, to discharge a missile :-- Þú þurh lyft lǽtest mildne morgenrén, Az. 82 : 135. Hé hygegár léteð, Mód. 34. Hé lǽteð foreweard hleór on strangne stán, Sal. 113. 'Tódǽlnessa ðára wætera út léton mín eágan.' Tódǽldu wæteru wé lǽtað út of úrum eágum 'Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus.' Divisas ex oculis aquas deducimus, Past. 413, 27. Hé of stáne lét strange burnan, Ps. Th. 77, 17. Hí þára bearna blód léton swá man gute wæter effuderunt sanguinem eorum sicut aquam, 78, 3. 'Lǽt forð ðíne willas.' . . . Ðæt is ðæt mon his wætru út lǽte 'Deriventur fontes tui foras.' . . . Fontes foras derivare est, Past. 373, 12-16. (7) to allow to have :-- Þá bæd Eustachius ꝥ hí him fyrst léton ꝥ hí him tó Gode gebǽdon, Hml. S. 30, 424. (8) to grant temporary possession of something to (to) a person :-- Úre Drihten is swíþe gemyndig ealra þára gifena þe hé ús tó lǽteþ, Bl. H. 51, 24. Eádmund oferhergode Cumbraland and hit lét tó eal (eall tó, v. l.) Malculme, on ꝥ gerád ꝥ hé wǽre his midwyrhta, Chr. 945; P. 110, 34. Hé geann Leófsige þæs mannes þe hé him ǽr tó lét, Cht. Crw. 23, 18. Dúnsǽte beþyrfan, gif heom se cyning an, ꝥ man húru friðgíslas tó heom lǽte Dunsetis expedit, sirex concedat, ut saltem pacis obsides habeant, Ll. Th. i. 356, 21. (9) to allow or cause to pass or go, lǽtan of to let off :-- Ic léte hǽþen folc ofer iów I will send heathen folk upon you, Wlfst. 223, 12. Hé hine sóna hider lǽt continuo illum dimittet huc, Mk. 11, 3. Hé ne lét ná of gebedum his gást he did not let his spirit off prayers, Hml. S. 31, 1357. Dém þú hí tó deáðe, swá tó lífe lǽt, swá þé leófre sý, Jul. 88. Gif se hláford mildheort bið, ꝥ hé þá gýmeleáste tó forgyfenesse lǽte, Ll. Thi. 270, 19. Hét se cásere lǽtan león and beran tó þám cynegum, Hml. S. 24, 29. Hé hét lǽtan him tó twégen león, 51. Hé hét áne strange leó lǽtan intó him, 30, 416. Heó hire mód ongan lǽtan æfter þám lárum Gen. 592. Swá mycele furðor swá hé on háde is lǽten, R. Ben. 112, 2. II. followed by an infinitive. (1) to permit, allow, suffer. (a) where the infinitive has a subject, and is (α) intrans. :-- Hí ne lǽt God on áne healfe þæs heofones bión, Bt. 39, 13; F. 234, 8. Ic wundrige for hwý God lǽte ǽnig yfel beón, oððe gif hé hit geþafian wile . . . , 36, 1; F. 172, 5. Ðæt hé his feax léte weaxan, Past. 139, 25. (β) trans. :-- Ne lǽte gé eów ǽlcre láre wind áweccgan, Past. 306, 8. Him wǽre micel ðearf ðæt hié léten Godes ege hié geeáðmédan, 321, 12. (b) where the infinitive is without subject and where now a passive construction may replace the earlier active :-- Lǽt þé fullian let yourself be baptized, Hml. S. 5, 204. Ne léten hié nó hié on ǽlce healfe gebígean they would not let themselves be inclined to every side, Past. 306, 4. (2) to cause, let (in to let a person know). (a) where the following infinitive has a subject :-- Ic lǽte hig ætwindan tó wuda dimitto eos avolar ad sylvam, Coll. M. 26, 3 : Gen. 438. Ic sígan lǽte wællregn, 1349. Hé leórt tácen forð úp éðigean, El. 1105. (b) where the infinitive is without subject (cf. 1 b) :-- Þú of foldan fódder neátum lǽtest álǽdan producens foenum jumentis, Ps. Th. 103, 13. Se cyng lét tóscyfton þone here geond eall þis land, Chr. 1085; P. 216, 1. Lǽt inc geséman, Past. 349, 12. (3) in the imperative as an auxiliary :-- Lǽt gán ðín eágean beforan ðínum fótum palpebrae tuae praecedant gressus tuos, Past. 287, 12. Lǽt ðíne willas iernan wíde, and tódǽl hié deriventur fontes tui foras, et divide, 373, 4. Hláford, gif þín willa sý, lǽt sendan (sænde man, v. l.) ǽrendracan mittatur, si placet, qui huc eum exhibeat, Gr. D. 35, 9. III. to behave, appear, think. (1) intrans. to behave so and so, have the appearance of being, make as though :-- Hé lǽt him eáðelíce ymbe þæt he takes that very easily, Wlfst. 298, 30. Þæt mancyn . . . þæs him náht ne ondrǽdað, ac him orsorh lǽtað (profess to be unconcerned), 182, 15. Se kyngc lét líhtlíce of oð ꝥ hé cóm tó Englalande, and hine lét syððan tacan the king made light of it till he came to England, and afterwards had him taken, Chr. 1076; P. 211, 34. Ealle hí léton swilce hí on ǽfen slépon, and sóna ðæs on morgen of ðám slǽpe áwacedon they all comported themselves as if they had gone to sleep in the evening and soon after in the morning had waked from their sleep, Hml. S. 23, 440. (1 a) reflex., to show oneself so and so :-- Heó efenwyrðe hí lét on eallum þingum þám bisceope condignam se in omnibus episcopo praebuit, Bd. 4, 6; Sch. 384, 4. (2) trans, (a) with object and complement. (α) the object a noun, or pronoun, to regard as :-- Ic for náht lǽte floci fero, Germ. 393, 140. Ic hine gelícne lǽte wísum were similabo eum uiro sapienti, R. Ben. 4, 12. Hé bið tó eáðmód ðám yflan mannan, and lǽt hine him tó gelícne (regards him too much as an equal), Past. 121, 21. Wé ðisses middangeardes welan toresettað and ús leófran lǽtað ðonne ðá lufan þára heofonlicra eádignessa cum mundi diuitias amori caelestium praeponimus, Bd. 3, 19; Sch. 279, 2. Ǽlc wóh gé lǽtað tó rihte, Wlfst. 297, 27. Þǽrn þe nán þing him leófre ne lǽtað þonne Críst his qui nihil sibi Christus carius aliquid existimant, R. Ben. 19, 15. Þára hrægla þe nú drihtguman diórost lǽtað, Met. 8, 11. Drihten lét hine him swá leófne ꝥ hé ne geþolode ꝥ hé wǽre medmycelne fyrst geunrótsod hunc quam dilectum Dominus attendet, quem contristari nec ad modicum pertulit, Gr. D. 90, 15. Apollinis þe hí mǽrne god léton, Wlfst. 197, 19. Lǽt ðé ǽlcne mannan . . . swá leófne swá bróðor, Hex. 44, 24: Fä. 12 : Angl. xii. 516, 24. Ðæt hé ðá ðe him underðiédde sién lǽte him gelíce aequalem se subditis deputet, Past. 107, 15. Ðæt hié lǽten him ðæt tó genyhte ðæt hié him sellen, 320, 1. Ðǽr hié ne wénden ðæt hié selfe beteran wǽren ðonne óðre menn, ðæt hié ne lǽten hiera geðeaht and hiera wénan suá feor beforan ealra óðerra monna wénan nisi meliores se ceteris aestimarent, nequaquam cunctorum consilia suae deliberationi postponerent, 306, 1. Him þás woruld úttor lǽtan þonne þæt éce lif, Gú. 97. Gif þú ðé wilt dón manegra beteran, ðonne scealt þú ðé lǽtan ánes wyrsan, Bt. 32, 1 ; F. 114, 14. Tó hwǽm wé gelíc létan welle ríce Godes ? cui adsimilabimus regnum Dei ?, Mk. R. L. 4, 30. (b) with object alone. (α) the object a noun, to suppose something :-- Nán þridde be him sylfum ne lét hé búton swilce hé of his gemynde wǽre he had no third supposition about himself except it was as if he were out of his mind, Hml. S. 23, 634. (αα) to esteem (?) :-- Him ne bið lǽten gold ne seolfor neither gold nor silver is held precious by them, Verc. Först. 106, 15. (β) the object a clause, to consider that :-- Swá ic lǽte on mínum geþance ꝥ mé tó nánre byrig swá rihte ne gebyrige swá tó þissere byrig, Hml. S. 23, 675. Hé lǽt þæt hé ána sý strengra þonne hí ealle, Wlfst. 197, 21. Ic lǽte riht (juslum censeo) . . . ꝥ sé þe þone hearm geworhte, ꝥ sé þone hearm gebéte, Ll. Th. i. 418, 4. Hé lét him tó rǽde ꝥ (what) hé þá gerǽdde, Hml. S. 23, 319. Þæt hé lǽte him tó bysne hú þá feónd forwurdon that he regard the fall of the angels as an example for himself, Sat. 196. IV. in phrases (1) with adj., án lǽtan, to let alone, not to meddle with :-- Gif hié þone wæstm án lǽtan wolden, Gen. 644. (2) with verb in infin., beón lǽtan to let be, cease from :-- Uton lǽtan bión þás sprǽce, Bt. 34, 7 ; F. 144, 18. (3) with adverb. (a) behindan, (α) to leave behind (one), go away without :-- Þé behindan ne lǽt, þonne þú heonan cyrre, mænigo þus micle, Cri. 155. (β) to pass beyond, outstrip :-- Ðonne bist þú bufan ðám rodore, and lǽtst behindan þé þone héhstan heofon, Bt. 36, 2; F. 174, 16 : Met. 24, 29. (b) fram, to start from a port :-- Wé nó geseóð þá stilnesse þǽre hýþe þe wé ǽr fram léton, Gr. D. 6, 19. (c) ofdúne, to let down, to cause or allow to descend :-- Hié léton hiera hrægl ofdúne tó fótum, Ors. 3, 5; S. 106, 19, (d) úp, to put ashore :-- Hé cóm tó Sandwíc and lét þǽr úp (lét dón úp, v. l.) þá gíslas, Chr. 1014; P. 145, 23. (e) út, to put to sea :-- Godwine eorl . . . lét út áne dǽge ǽr midsumeres mæsseǽfene, Chr. 1052 ; P. 177, 11. Sóna þæs ðe hí on scip eódon and út léton, Bd. 3, 15 ; Sch. 263, 6. lætan

Related words: l.