Leißen

Leißen is a German verb of archaic or poetic usage meaning “to leave, to allow, to permit” or more broadly “to let” as in “to let something happen.” It is a member of the same verb family as leisen, leisen und lohnen, and is historically related to the Old High German verb leeni that meant “to release” or “to set free.” The modern standard German verb “lassen” is usually preferred, but leißen can still be found in older literary works, legal phrases, and certain regional dialects, where it carries a slightly formal or solemn tone.

In Middle High German the form “leizn” appeared as a modal verb in ecclesiastical and legal contexts, e.g. „Sie sollt ihr eigne dinge leißen“ meaning “she must allow her own affairs.” In the 16th‑ and 17th‑century German literature, writers such as Martin Opitz and Andreas Gryphius used leißen in lyrical passages to evoke a sense of destiny or grace. In church‑law texts the verb also appears in the phrase “leißen zu Retten” (to be granted remission) and in the customary law term “leißigkeit” (harmlessness).

The modern usage of leißen is thus largely historical, yet it occasionally surfaces in idiomatic expressions like “geliefert und leißen ganz unverletzt” (returned and left unhurt). Its antonymic forms include leim, may also appear in compound verbs such as “beileißen” (to allow one’s duty to be done). Because of its archaic character, people learning German often encounter leißen only in philological studies, translation work, or the study of German legal history.