Middle English

Verb

forleten (third-person singular simple present forleteth, present participle forlette, simple past and past participle forleten)

1. To forsake, disregard, abandon; reject; intr. to be neglectful

   Þe same I will do þe Þat for-lete at my lare. — Man þus on rode ... Religious Lyrics of the XIVth Century, c1425

2. To cease or neglect

   Whan he bigynneth any good werk, anon he wol forleten it and stynten. — Chaucer, c1380

3. To leave out, omit, pass over, overlook

   We shule tellen alle ure gultes..and no þing of þe soðe forlete. — Trinity Homilies, 1225

4. To yield, to give up, resign; renounce; to put away; to release, let go, refrain from injuring

   Repentant folk that stynte for to synne and forlete synne er that synne forlete hem. — Chaucer, c1390

5. To lose (something), be deprived of; forfeit; lose track of

   Moo renovelaunces of olde forleten aqueyntaunces. — Chaucer, c1380

6. To give or forgive; allow, permit, grant

   Þam þe he her on worlde mucel to forlæteþ, mucel he to þam eft seceð. — Homilies in MS Bodley, 1175

7. To let (blood); eliminate, to discharge; of a disease: to leave (someone).

   Þe king him gon to sweten, þat ufel hine gon forleten. — — Layamon's Brut, 1275

Related terms

• forleting, forletinge — scorn, contempt
• forletness, forletnesse — scorn, contempt

Descendants

• forlet, forleet

References

• Middle English Dictionary