læt
/læt/
Late in Old English is læt, meaning not arriving until after the expected time.
læt means late or slow. As an adverb, past the right time, the word is late.
Meaning: not arriving until after an expected time (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, læt takes endings that agree with the noun it describes, as in latre.
How do you pronounce it?
læt is pronounced /læt/, with the vowel of modern cat.
Did you know?
- In Old English, the word læt had a double meaning, referring both to someone who is slow and to someone in a low social position, such as a servant or slave.
Examples in context
- Leech Book, Leech Book, Volume II, xxxiv.
Wiþ latre meltunge. Olisatrum hātte wyrt sēo dēah tō drincanne.For late digestion: a herb named alexanders, which is good to drink.latre is an inflected form of the adjective describing digestion.
Example conversation
Eadgyth is waiting for Eadric to arrive at the hall.
- EadgythHwȳ art þū swā læt, Eadric?Why are you so late, Eadric?
- EadricIċ fōr on lēasne weg.I went the wrong way.
- EadgythSē mēte is nū ceald.The food is now cold.
- EadricForgif mē, mīn dēore hlǣfdige.Forgive me, my dear lady.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “late” translations and entries læt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries læt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
