An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Lade
Lade, f., ‘chest, box, press,’ from MidHG. lade (OHG. *lada, *hlada?), f., ‘receptacle, chest’; Lade is prop. an ‘arrangement for loading’; the corresponding OIc. hlaþa means ‘barn, storehouse,’ so too MidE. laþe, whence E. lathe. For further references comp. the vb. laden. It is also probable that Lade is connected with the following subst. Laden; in that case the prim. meaning would be ‘trunk made of boards.’