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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

let

/lɛt/
To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, leave”).

    Cognates

    Cognate with Scots lat, lete (“to let, leave”), Yola leth (“let”), North Frisian leet, let, lätje (“to let”), Bavarian låssn (“to let”), Dutch, Low German laten (“to let, leave”), German lassen, laßen (“to let, leave, allow”), Luxembourgish loossen (“to let, leave”), Yiddish לאָזן (lozn, “to let”), Danish lade (“to let, allow, leave”), Faroese, Icelandic láta (“to let”), Norwegian Bokmål la (“to let, leave”), Norwegian Nynorsk la, lata, late (“let, allow”), Swedish låta (“to let, allow, leave”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (lētan, “to let”), Albanian lë (“to allow, let, leave”) and partially related to French laisser (“to let”).

    Etymology 2

    Derived from Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay”), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay”; literally, “to make late”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattjan, from Proto-Germanic *latjaną. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay”), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late”). More at late, delay.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • derivedMiddle Englishleten
      • derivedOld Englishlǣtan “to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”
        • derivedProto-West Germanic*lātan
          • derivedProto-Germanic*lētaną “to leave behind, allow”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*leh₁d- “to be tired, leave”
    • derivedMiddle Englishletten “to hinder, delay”
      • derivedOld Englishlettan “to hinder, delay”; literally, “to make late”
        • derivedProto-West Germanic*lattjan
          • derivedProto-Germanic*latjaną “to delay, hinder, stall”

    Related: Scots lat, Yola leth, North Frisian leet, Bavarian låssn, Low German laten, German lassen, Luxembourgish loossen, Yiddish לאָזן, Danish lade, Icelandic láta, Norwegian Bokmål la, Norwegian Nynorsk la, Swedish låta, Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽, Albanian lë, Old English latian, Dutch letten, Old English læt

    Words built on it: in on, let-out

    Meanings

    verb
    1. To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
    2. To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.
    3. To allow the release of (a fluid).
    4. To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
    5. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
    6. Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
    noun
    1. The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: let