An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/gleiten

by Friedrich Kluge

gleiten, vb., ‘to glide, slide, slip,’ from the equiv. MidHG. glîten, OHG. glîtan, str. vb.; corresponding to OSax. glîdan, Du. glijden, glijen, AS. glîdan, E. to glide. Although the roots of gleiten (Aryan ghlī̆-t) and glatt (Aryan ghladh) are as indubitably allied as those of Glanz and gleißen, it is impossible to determine the relation between them more definitely.