▪ I. † forˈlet, v.1 Obs.
Forms: see let v.1 Also pa. pple. 7 erron. forlitt.
[OE. forlǽtan, f. for- prefix1 + lǽtan let v.1; = OS. forlátan (Du. verlaten), OHG. firlâȥȥan (MHG. verlâȥen, Ger. verlassen), ON. fyrirláta (Sw. förlåta, Da. forlade).]
1. trans. To allow, permit.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xxvii, Sum eorþlic æ forlæteþ, þætte [etc.]. a 1300 E.E. Psalter cxxv. 3 For noght forelete sal he Yherde of sinful for to be Over lote of rightwis. |
2. To leave, go away from (a person or place), forsake; to abandon (possessions).
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 27 Hine þa forlet se costiᵹend. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 To chiesen ȝief[h]y wolden hare sceppinde lufie oðer hine ferleten. c 1205 Lay. 30599 Þat ufel hine gon for-leten. a 1300 Cursor M. 13295 (Cott.) He for iesu al for-lete. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2311 Alle þe breme bestes þat a-boute vs were, for-lete vs & folwed him forþ. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 381, I him forleit as a lad. |
b. To leave (a person) helpless or destitute.
| a 1000 Andreas 459 (Gr.) Næfre forlæteð lifᵹende god eorl on eorðan, ᵹif his ellen deah! a 1225 St. Marher. 8 Ne forlet tu me nawt luuende lauerd. 1340–70 Alisaunder 679 Whan Philip in his foule will hathe þee forlete..Him tides to take þee aȝain. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xx, He is forlete and al forpercid sore and pytously. a 1553 Philpot Exam. & Writ. (1842) 345 Who may say that God forletteth his church right, so that he may permit those things to..decay, without the which it may not consist? |
c. To leave (land) desolate or uncultivated; to leave (a building, etc.) to decay.
| a 1300 Leg. Rood (1871) 34 So þat þulke stude was vor-lete mony aday. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 104 But yet there ben of londes fele..Which of the people be forlete As londe deserte. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. b 7 b, He yaf hem a contre that was forleten where in they myght duelle. 1528 Will in W. Molyneux Burton-on-Trent (1869) 58 The seyd brygge ys lyke to be decayed and forlett. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 513 The three Channels or draines have a long time beene forlet and neglected. |
d. To leave off, renounce (a custom, habit, sin).
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 19 Nu sculle we forlete þes licome lust. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 103 Hwi luuest þu þine fule sunnes . forlet hem. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3779 Wraþþe and oþer synne forlate [printed foolate]. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶ 45 In þe drede of god man forleteth his synne. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 64 He thoucht he wald mak peice agane With Scot and Pecht, and all weiris forleit. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 84 Soone after this custome was for-let and cleane giuen ouer. |
e. To forsake, cease to regard (a law, etc.).
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 4068 For luue of ðis hore-plaȝe Manie for-leten godes laȝe. a 1300 Cursor M. 9448 (Cott.) Sua sun als he þat apel ete, þe laghes bath he þan for-lete. 1340 Ayenb. 184 Roboam..uorlet þane red of þe yealden guode men uor þane red of yonge. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) I. 60 Lautie wes lost, forleit wes all the lawes. |
¶ f. Used as a term of Sc. constitutional law.
| 1689 Earl of Balcarras Let. Jas. II on St. Scot. 61 (MS.) The Committee..found great difficulty how to declare the Crown vacant. Some were for abdications..Others were for using an old obsolete word (fforleiting) used for a Birds forsaking her nest. 1689 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) I. 518 The throne of Scotland is vacant, the late King James the 7th haveing forlitt or forfeited the crown. |
3. To leave out, omit; to let alone, abandon.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 71 We shule no þing seien þere þat les beo, and no þing of þe soðe forlete. c 1220 Bestiary 230 Finde ȝe ðe wete corn ðat hire qwemeð. Al ȝe forleteð ðis oðer seð. a 1300 Cursor M. 21777 (Gött.) Eline..wald noght for-lett þe nailes in his hend and fete..ful gern scho soght Till scho þaim fand ne fined noght. c 1300 Beket 1998 All that he i handled hadde the houndes hit forlete. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 101 Be þay fers, be þay feble for-lotez none. |
b. To cease from; to cease to do something.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Ne forlete ȝe for nane scame þat ȝe ne seggen þam preoste alle eower sunne. c 1200 Ormin 18875 All follc well neh forrlet To þenkenn ohht off heffne. a 1250 Owl & Night. 36, I-wis for þine fule lete Wel oft ich mine song forlete. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. xi. 75 (Camb. MS.) Whan it forletiþ to ben oone it mot nedis dien. |
4. To let go, release or lose from one's hold or keeping.
| c 1150 Departing Soul's Addr. Body 19 Thine godfæderes ihaten ær heo the forleten that [etc.]. c 1200 Ormin 3768 He wollde hiss aᵹhenn lif Forr hise shep forrlætenn. a 1225 Juliana 47 Forlet me mi leafdi & ich chulle al bileaue þe. a 1225 St. Marher. 6 Weila wummon hwuch wlite þu leosest ant forletest for þin misbeleaue. a 1300 Cursor M. 4006 (Cott.) Formast his lijf he suld for-lete. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. metr. ii. 3 (Camb. MS.) Allas how the thowt of man dulleth and forletith his propre cleernesse. |
b. To remit (a debt); to forgive.
| 1340 Ayenb. 262 And uorlet ous oure yeldinges: ase and we uorleteþ oure yelderes. |
c. To dismiss from attention. Sc.
| 1813 Picken Poems I. 121 Sae let's forleet it—gie's a sang; To brood on ill unken'd is wrang. |
Hence forˈlet(en ppl. a.; forˈleting vbl. n. Also forˈletness, the state of being let alone.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter cxxii[i]. 3 For of for-letenesse mikel filled we are. Ibid. 4 Up-braiding To mightand, and to proude for-leting. 13.. K. Alis. 2889 As a stude for-let, Is now Thebes. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. i. 2 (Camb. MS.) A forletyn and a despised elde. c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) x. 11 An old for-latyn cote. 1506 Sir R. Guylforde Pilgr. (Camden) 33 An olde for leten ruynous churche. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 188 The language of our ancestours..lay forlet and buried in oblivion. |
▪ II. † forˈlet, v.2 Obs.
[f. for- prefix1 + let v.2]
trans. To hinder, prevent, stop. Const. inf. or that with not. Also in deprecatory phr. God forlet it!
| a 1555 Philpot Exam. & Writ. (1842) 351 But God forelet it that I should not believe the gospel! 1568 C. Watson Polyb. 95 a, The Romans..being in league with the Carthaginenses..forlet him not to aide them. 1575 R. B. Appius & Virg. E ij, It is naught in dry sommer, for letting my drinke. |