Etymology

live and let live

Today it means: To be tolerant; to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities which life offers and to allow others to do the same. Full definition →

Dutch leven en laten leven
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The story

  1. Dutch · calque ofleven en laten leven
  2. English todaylive and let live

Possibly a calque of Dutch leven en laten leven, which was mentioned by Gerard de Malynes in a 1622 book about trade law (in the then-current spelling leuen ende laeten leuen).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.