laisser

Etymology

From Middle French laisser, from Old French lesser, lessier, laissier (“to let, let go, leave”), from Latin laxō (“to relax, loosen”); partly from or influenced by Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, leave”) (German lassen), from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to let, leave, leave alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, let”). Cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (lētan, “to release, forgive”). Conflated also with Old French laiier (“to leave, abandon, allow”) (compare Old Occitan laihar, laiar, Old Northern Italian lagare), also of Germanic origin, from Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (lagjan, “to lay, let lie, leave”), from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay”). More at let, lay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛ.se/, /le.se/

• audio

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Verb

laisser

1. (transitive) to leave, to leave behind

   Laissez le pistolet sur la table

   Leave the gun on the table

2. (transitive) to forget, to leave alone
3. (transitive) to leave with, to give
4. (transitive) to let, to allow
5. (reflexive, se laisser) to allow oneself, to let oneself

Further reading

• “laisser” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• liséras, lissera, sérails, sileras

Alternative forms

• laissier

Etymology

From Old French lesser, lessier, laissier (“to let, let go, leave”), from Latin laxō (“to relax, loosen”); partly from or influenced by Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, leave”) (German lassen), from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to let, leave, leave alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, let”).

Verb

laisser

1. to allow; to permit
2. to leave (not take)
3. to leave alone (not interfere)
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 74:

     [ie] vous prie que vous me laissiez ceste bataille

     I beg of you to let me go into this battle alone