An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/laden

by Friedrich Kluge

laden (1.), vb., ‘to load, charge, burden,’ from the equiv. MidHG. laden, OHG. ladan (earlier hladan); corresponding to Goth. hlaþan, AS. hladan, E. to lade. The d of the AS. word compared with the þ of the Goth. and d of the HG. is abnormal; the irregularity is probably on the side of the Goth. and OHG., which produced a grammatical change as though the Aryan dental were t. In fact, however, it is dh (hladan, hlôd, hlôdum, hladans, not hlaþan, hlôþ, hlôdum, hladans); comp. OSlov. kladą (klasti), ‘to lay,’ which, with E. to lade, proves the existence of an Aryan root kladh. Comp. Last and Lade.

laden (2.), vb., ‘to summon, invite,’ from the equiv. MidHG. laden, OHG. ladôn; distinguished from laden (1) by the initial sound; laden, ‘onerare,’ had orig. initial hl, while laden, ‘invitare,’ has always had a simple l only; Goth. laþôn, ‘to summon,’ AS. laþian (obsolete in E.). The Teut. root is laþ, the meaning of which is indicated by Goth. laþôns, f., ‘calling, consolation, redemption,’ the adv. laþaleikô, ‘very willingly,’ and ModHG. Luder. Some such idea as ‘to treat affectionately, beg,’ must be regarded as the orig. sense; a root lat with this meaning has not yet been found in the other Aryan languages. Further, the word cannot possibly be connected with Gr. καλεῖν, κλη-τός, &c., to which ModHG. holen more probably belongs.