laten

See also: latén and låten

English

Etymology

From late +‎ -en.

Verb

laten (third-person singular simple present latens, present participle latening, simple past and past participle latened)

1. (intransitive) To grow late; become later.
   • 1928, Siegfried Sassoon, The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston: Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, London: Faber and Faber, page 142 (Faber Paper 1972 edition):

     The afternoon was latening, but there was, I think, a quietly commemorative glow from the west.

   • 1930, Alec Waugh, Three Score and Ten, page 3:

     Not even when the hour latened, when the courts became filled with boys returning from their holidays, when the moment for saying "Good-bye" was only a few minutes distant, not even then did his high spirits leave him.

   • 2011, Catherine Winchester, Northern Light:

     Then he returned to Margaret's side and sat with her for the rest of the evening, insisting that she rest. As the hour latened he kissed her on the cheek and got up to leave.

Anagrams

• Antle, ental, leant

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaːtə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: la‧ten
• Rhymes: -aːtən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch laten, from Old Dutch lātan, from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną.

Verb

laten

1. (copulative) to leave, to cause to remain in the same position or state

   Ze lieten het zo.

   They left it like that.

2. (auxiliary, with object) to leave, to allow to remain/continue to

   Laat dat daar maar liggen.

   Just leave it lying there.

3. (auxiliary, with object) to let, to allow to

   Ze lieten hem gaan.

   They let him go.

4. (auxiliary, with object) to cause to, to make; creates a causative phrase.

   Hij liet zijn spullen op de grond vallen.

   He dropped his stuff on the ground.

   Laat me weten hoe laat je thuiskomt.

   Let me know at what time you'll come home.

5. (auxiliary, with object) to may, to let; forms an optative phrase.

   Laat er licht zijn.

   Let there be light.

6. (auxiliary, with object) to may, to let; forms a cohortative phrase.

   Laten ze een kuil graven.

   May they dig a hole.

   Laten we naar de bioscoop gaan!

   Let′s go to the cinema!

7. (transitive) to not do, to refrain from

   Laat dat!

   Don't do that!

8. (transitive, Suriname, colloquial) to leave someone, to end a romantic relationship
   • 2019, A Sa Go, Mie Na Swit Kontretjie:

     Maar Clyde luister, luister, ik heb je je vrouw niet laten laten.

     But Clyde, listen, listen, I didn't make you leave your wife.

Conjugation

Conjugation of laten (strong class 7)
infinitive	laten
past singular	liet
past participle	gelaten
infinitive	laten
gerund	laten n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	laat	liet
2nd person sing. (jij)	laat	liet
2nd person sing. (u)	laat	liet
2nd person sing. (gij)	laat	liet
3rd person singular	laat	liet
plural	laten	lieten
subjunctive sing.1	late	liete
subjunctive plur.1	laten	lieten
imperative sing.	laat
imperative plur.1	laat
participles	latend	gelaten
1) Archaic.

Derived terms

• achterlaten
• aflaten
• binnenlaten
• buitenlaten
• de kaas niet van het brood laten eten
• doen en laten
• doorlaten
• het achterste van zijn tong laten zien
• in het midden laten
• laatkoers
• laatprijs
• laten kennen
• laten varen
• links laten liggen
• loslaten
• nalaten
• neerlaten
• openlaten
• oplaten
• toelaten
• uitlaten
• verlaten
• vrijlaten
• weglaten

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: laat
• Berbice Creole Dutch: latn
• Jersey Dutch: lâte
• Skepi Creole Dutch: at

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

laten

1. plural of laat (“serf”)

Anagrams

• talen

Galician

Verb

laten

1. inflection of latar:
   1. third-person plural present subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative
2. third-person plural present indicative of latir

Low German

Alternative forms

• låten (New Saxon Spelling)

Etymology

From Old Saxon lātan, from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d-.

Verb

laten (past singular leet, past participle laten, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. (auxiliary, with an infinitive) to allow; to permit; to let
2. (auxiliary, with an infinitive) to have someone (do something); to have (something done); to make (something happen); to cause (something to be done)

   wat maken laten ― to have something done

   een wat doon laten ― to have someone do something

3. (transitive) to let; to leave
4. (transitive) to stop (something); to quit; to refrain from; to help doing (something)
5. (intransitive) to cease; to desist

Conjugation

Conjugation of laten (class 7 strong verb)

infinitive	laten
indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	laat	leet
2nd person singular	lettst	leetst
3rd person singular	lett	leet
plural	laat	leten
imperative	present	—
singular	laat
plural	laat
participle	present	past
	laten	laten
Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch lātan, from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną.

Verb

lâten

1. to leave, to cause to remain in the same position or state
2. to release
3. to let, to lose (of bodily fluids)
4. to leave, to let remain, to leave behind
5. to leave, to depart from
6. to not do, to refrain from
7. to stop doing, to cease doing
8. (auxiliary) to allow, to not prevent
9. (auxiliary) to cause to, to make

Inflection

Strong class 7
Infinitive	lâten
3rd sg. past	liet
3rd pl. past	lieten
Past participle	gelâten
Infinitive	lâten
In genitive	lâtens
In dative	lâtene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	lâte	liet
2nd singular	lâets, lâtes	liets, lietes
3rd singular	lâet, lâtet	liet
1st plural	lâten	lieten
2nd plural	lâet, lâtet	liet, lietet
3rd plural	lâten	lieten
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	lâte	liete
2nd singular	lâets, lâtes	lietes
3rd singular	lâte	liete
1st plural	lâten	lieten
2nd plural	lâet, lâtet	lietet
3rd plural	lâten	lieten
Imperative	Present
Singular	lâet, lâte
Plural	lâet, lâtet
	Present	Past
Participle	lâtende	gelâten

Descendants

• Dutch: laten
  • Afrikaans: laat
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: latn
  • Jersey Dutch: lâte
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: at
• Limburgish: laote

Further reading

• “laten”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “laten (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Middle English

Etymology 1

Proper noun

laten

1. Alternative form of Latyn

Etymology 2

Noun

laten

1. Alternative form of latoun

Spanish

Verb

laten

1. third-person plural present indicative of latir

Swedish

Noun

laten

1. definite singular of lat

Anagrams

• ental, talen