*laistijaną

Reconstruction

The verb is *laistijaną in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *laistjanan in Orel^[3] and *laistjan in Köbler.^[4] EWA writes the stem *lai̯stii̯e/a-.^[5]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Germanic *laistaz (“track”), a denominative verb.^[1][2][5]

Morphology

A weak verb of the first class,^[6][7] formed to the noun for "track, footprint".^[1][5] Orel gives the base as *laistiz ~ *laistaz;^[3] Kroonen heads the noun as an i-stem in *-ti-, *laisti-, which he derives from the preterite-present *lisan- "to know".^[8][9]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Gothic and West Germanic: Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (laistjan), Old English lǣstan, Old Frisian lāsta, Old Saxon lēstian and Old High German leisten.^[3][4] No North Germanic form is listed.^[3][2] The Gothic verb is in Wulfila's Bible.^[6]

Meanings

1. to follow^[1][4]
2. to track, to pursue^[2]

EWA gives the original sense as "to step into someone's footprints, to follow someone".^[5] In West Germanic it moved, through "to render service as a follower", as in Old English, and "to follow someone's orders", to "to carry out, to perform",^[5] as in Old Frisian "to fulfil, to pay",^[10] and Old Saxon "to carry out, to fulfil".^[7]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (laistjan, “to follow”)^[11]
• Old English: lǣstan (“to follow, to serve, to carry out, to endure”)^[12]
• Old Frisian: lāsta (“to fulfil, to pay”), also lēsta^[10]
• Old Saxon: lēstian (“to carry out, to fulfil, to do”)^[7]
• Old High German: leisten (“to fulfil, to perform, to obey”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 284
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *laistijaną
3. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *laistjanan
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *laistjan
5. ^ a b c d e f Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. leisten
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. laistjan
7. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. LESTIAN
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 324
9. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 339
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lāsta
11. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 193
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lǣstan