An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/leise

by Friedrich Kluge

leise, adjective, ‘low, soft, gentle,’ from Mid High German lîse, Old High German *lîsi (adverb lîso), ‘low,’ also ‘slow.’ Under lehren, List, and lernen, a Teutonic root, originally meaning ‘to go,’ is discussed, with which Gothic leis, ‘familiar,’ seems to be connected. The High German word can, however, scarcely be directly allied to this adjective, since the difference in meaning is too great. It is also questionable whether leise belongs at all to the root lis. Perhaps it is connected with Greek λεῖος, λιαρός, ‘soft, gentle, mild’; both, however, are better referred to Latin lêvis, ‘smooth.’ The nasal in Suabian lins (lœñs), ‘low,’ presents a difficulty.