Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Forleit, v. P.t. forleit, -leyt. P.p. forletyn, -letit, -lete, -leit. [ME. forlete, OE. forlǽtan.] tr. To forsake, neglect, abandon.(a) 1456 Hay I. 278/26.
Than war the principale caus of armes taking all forletyn c1420 Wynt. ii. 876 (W).
The fame Of mony, and the douchtynes, That lang tyme sa forletit wes 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 130 (R).
The graue study I haue sa lang forlete 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4416.
Ouir lang … I haue the lufe forletit of the preist(b) 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 130.
Me dredis I sal thoill a heit For the grave study I haue so long forleit 1535 Stewart 2043.
Lautie wes lost, forleit wes all the lawes Ib. 22057.
He thoucht he wald mak peice agane With Scot and Pecht, and all weiris forleit 15.. Christis Kirk 50.
All auld lycht futtis he did forleyt a1568 Bann. MS. 249 b/32.
Quhen … leill luvaris forleitis luvis lair 1567 G. Ball. 114.
My rycht hand first sall that forleit a1605 Montg. Misc. P. L. 30.
Wer he alyve he wald deploir His folie, and his love forleit 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xi. 16.
We that will be called Christians, and hes protested to forleit that lore, and to be reformed 1689 Balcarras Lett. to Jas. II. (O.E.D.).
Others were for using an old obsolete word (forleiting) used for a birds forsaking her nest