Where does “laisser” come from?

laisser (Middle French) comes from Old French lesser, from Latin laxō, from Latin laxus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lēg- — to let go; weak, feeble; loose; dissolute, lewd;...

laisser (Middle French): to allow; to permit; to leave; to leave alone

Definitions

  1. to allow; to permit; to leave; to leave alone

Ancestry of “laisser”, step by step

laisser traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French lesser

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old FrenchlesserAlternative form of laissier
2Latinlaxōto extend, expand
3Latinlaxuswide, spacious, roomy; yielding; loose, slack,...
4Proto-Indo-European(s)lēg-to let go; weak, feeble; loose; dissolute, lewd;...

via Old High German lāzan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanlāzanto let, let go, leave; to let, let go, release
2Proto-West Germaniclātanto let, to allow; to leave alone
3Proto-Germaniclētanąto let, to allow; to leave alone
4Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₁d-to be tired

Words derived from “laisser”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lēg- →Every word from Latin laxus →Every word from Latin laxō →