forlætan

Meaning

1. to leave

   Hē forlēt þæt hūs for þrim tīdum.

   He left the house three hours ago.

2. to abandon, desert, forsake

   Hwæder wilt þū þæt iċ gā? On forlǣten īeġland?

   Where do you want me to go? To a deserted island?

3. to quit

   Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

   Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.'

   late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

4. to allow

   Þā æt nēxtan forlēt Pharao Israhela folc of his earde siðian mid miċċlum ǣhtum, and God ġesette ðone foresǣdan Moysen his folce tō heretogan, and his broðer Aaron tō sacerde; and hī lǣddon þæt folce tō ðǣre Rēadan sǣ mid miċelre fyrdinge, þæt wǣron six hund þūsenda wigendra manna, buton wīfum and ċildum.

   Then at last Pharaoh allowed the people of Israel to leave his land with many livestock, and God appointed the aforementioned Moses as the leader of his people, and his brother Aaron as priest; and they led the people to the Red Sea with a great host, which numbered six hundred thousand warriors, not counting women and children.

   Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

5. to stop an action

6. to lose something

   Wrīt þus oþþe bet oþþe þīne hȳd forlǣt.

   Write like this or better or lose your skin.

   early 12th century, note from a scribe to his apprentice, written on a copy of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care

Conjugation