Meaning
To leave, or to be left over and remaining. It covers both 'lef mi alone' (leave me alone, stop bothering me) and 'wah lef' (what is left over), 'lef it deh' (leave it there) and 'notten nuh lef' (nothing is left). The Patois form drops the final 't' of 'left', and it does the double work of departing and remaining — going away from a place or a person, and the remainder that stays behind — both among the most everyday senses in the language.
Examples
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Lef it alone, nuh trouble it.
Leave it alone, don't disturb it.
-
Him lef gaan a farrin.
He left and went abroad.
-
Only two dumpling lef inna di pot.
Only two dumplings are left in the pot.
Origin
From 'left' (past of leave), with the final 't' dropped, used for both leaving and remaining.
How it’s used
Both 'to leave' and 'to remain/be left over'. 'Lef mi' = leave me be. See [[dead-lef]].