Unterlâssen

Unterlâssen is a historical orthographic variant found in older German texts that denotes the concept of refraining from an action or omitting something. In modern standard German the corresponding verb is unterlassen, meaning to refrain or omit, and the related noun is typically Unterlassen or Unterlassung depending on context. The form with a macron over the a (â) is used in philological editions to indicate a long vowel in earlier manuscripts.

The term derives from the verb lassen with the prefix unter-, with roots in Middle High German underlâsen and related old German spellings. The macron marks historical pronunciation, and such spellings are common in critical editions, glossaries, or texts aiming to reproduce older orthography.

Usage and context: In historical sources, unterlâssen may appear in expressions describing the act of withholding or forgoing an action, aligning in meaning with the modern concept of an omission or abstention. In contemporary German, the functional equivalents are Unterlassen (noun) or the verb unterlassen; the form unterlâssen survives primarily in scholarly notes and editions.

See also: Unterlassen, Unterlassung, German orthography, Middle High German. The term is mainly of historical and philological interest and is not part of everyday contemporary usage outside academic discussion.