*laistijan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *laistijan.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *laistijaną (“to follow”),^[2] which Orel cites as *laistjanan and Köbler as *laistjan.^[3][4] Wiktionary analyses the verb as *laist "track, footprint" with the suffix *-jan;^[1] EWA likewise takes the Proto-Germanic verb for a denominative of *laista- "footprint, track".^[5] Ringe and Taylor reconstruct the Proto-West Germanic past *laistidē "(s)he followed, (s)he carried out, (s)he accomplished", from Proto-Germanic *laistidē.^[6] In Old English the infinitive became *lāstjąn and then Old English lǣstan.^[2]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[7][5] In Old English the past *laistidē became *lāstidǣ and then lǣste,^[6] the *-d- of the suffix being devoiced next to the voiceless consonant after syncope.^[8]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English lǣstan,^[2] Old Frisian lāsta, also spelt ⟨lēsta⟩,^[9] and Old Saxon lēstian.^[2] Boutkan and Siebinga take the by-form ⟨lēsta⟩ to show the monophthong ē from *ai.^[10] In Old Dutch, ONW records lēsten in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of about 1100.^[11] Köbler records Old High German leisten from the beginning of the 9th century.^[12]

Meanings

1. to follow^[6][1]
2. to carry out, to accomplish^[6][1]

EWA explains the change from "to step in someone's footsteps, to follow" to "to obey, to perform" through the sense "to give allegiance", still found in Old English, and then "to follow someone's orders and do what is required".^[5] Old English also used the verb for "to serve",^[2] Old Frisian for "to pay" and "to produce (witnesses)",^[9] and Old High German for "to prove".^[2]

Derivatives

• Ringe and Taylor reconstruct a West Germanic verb *fu/ollalaistijan "to help", continued by Old Saxon follēstian and Old High German folleisten, which became early West Saxon fylstan by haplology and syncope.^[13][14] They take the original sense to have been "to follow completely, to support fully".^[14]

Reflexes

• Old English: lǣstan (“to follow, to serve, to perform, to carry out”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: lāsta (“to perform, to fulfil, to pay”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: lēstian (“to carry out, to fulfil, to perform, to pay”)^[16]
• Old Dutch: lēsten (“to perform”)^[11]
• Old High German: leisten (“to perform, to fulfil, to obey, to keep”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *laistijan
2. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 234
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 233
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *laistjan
5. ^ a b c d 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 c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 268
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lêstian
8. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 280
9. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lāsta
10. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. lasta
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. lēsten
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. leisten
13. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 254
14. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 275
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lǣstan
16. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. lestian