An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/lauern

by Friedrich Kluge

lauern, verb, ‘to lie in wait,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German lûren, weak verb; it corresponds to Scandinavian lúra, ‘to slumber,’ Middle English lûren, English to lower, lour. Compare further Middle English lurken (for lûr ken), English to lurk, which seems the primary meaning of the German and Scandinavian word. “To the German term is traced French lorgner, ‘to leer, ogle,’ from which the foreign words French lorgnon, lorgnette, were introduced into German”