Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old High German gilâz junction, juncture, (also specifically) junction or meeting (of ways), (more typically) leave, concession, grace (Middle High German gelâz , German Gelaß , now only in the sense ‘room’) < the Germanic base of y- prefix + the Germanic base of let v.¹ With the Old English genitive phrase (þāra) wega gelǣte ‘junction of (the) ways’, compare Old High German kalâz dero uuego in the same sense; compare also discussion at wayleet n. In β. forms probably aphetic < α. forms. Compare wayleet n. and later leat n.Nouns derived from the base of let v.¹ are attested in the Germanic languages in a variety of different stem classes and in a wide range of senses of the verb (compare e.g. the Germanic nouns cited at i-lete n., lait n.², and also Middle High German gelæze place of settlement, dues to be paid from a serf's inheritance); it is likely that these show several independent formations from the same base. The sense ‘junction, juncture’ is apparently attested only for prefixed forms (compare discussion at y- prefix of the typical uses of this prefix). In Old English (in the basic sense ‘coming together, junction’) attested almost exclusively with reference to roads and ways, typically in collocation with the genitive plural of weg way n.¹ (or strǣt street n.); compare also the compound weg-gelǣte wayleet n. However, compare the (rare) compounds wæter-gelǣt with reference to a confluence or junction of waters (see water leat n.), and þēoh-gelǣte thigh-joint (compare thigh n.). In Old English apparently a strong neuter (ja -stem) gelǣte (plural gelǣtu ), with a by-form gelǣt usually also assumed to be a strong neuter (a -stem), on the evidence of the Germanic cognates; however, the early Middle English evidence at leat n. also suggests the existence of a strong feminine by-form (compare quots. 1279, c1340 at that entry which show forms reflecting feminine agreement). A feminine by-form is also found for Middle High German gelæze in sense ‘behaviour’ (see i-lete n.).

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman lete or Anglo-Latin leta, of obscure origin; perhaps < Old English lǽþ : see lathe n.¹ Prof. Skeat conjectures that it represents an Old English *lǽte connected with lǽtan let v.¹ (compare leet n.¹), but no evidence of this has been found.

Etymology: Aphetic < eleit, variant of elite n.¹ (although this is first attested slightly later: see quot. 1592 at elite n.¹). Compare lite n.²

Etymology: Of uncertain origin: by some referred to Old English (*hlíete) hléteOld Norse hløyti share, portion; the Old English word, however, is recorded only in the sense ‘casting of lots’.

Etymology: Representing the pronunciation of the second syllable of elite n.² (see quot. 1992 at sense A.). Compare leetspeak n.In forms including numerals, 1 represents the letter l (owing to the visual resemblance of the numeral to the lower-case letter), and 3 and 7 represent the letters E and T respectively (owing to the visual resemblance of these numerals to the upper-case forms of these letters), according to the conventions of leetspeak.

Etymology: < leet n.³ Compare earlier lite v.³, and also elite v.