An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/leisten

by Friedrich Kluge

leisten, vb., ‘to perform, accomplish,’ from MidHG. and OHG. leisten, ‘to adhere to and execute an order, fulfil one's promise or duty’; corresponds to Goth. laistjan, ‘to pursue, yield.’ On account of its kinship with Gleise and Leisten, m., the meaning of the HG. word (as well as the equiv. OSax. lêstan) must be based on the Goth. vb. AS. lœ̂stan, ‘to perform, accomplish, hold, sustain, endure,’ whence E. to last. The common Teut. wk. vb. laistjan, lit. ‘to pursue’ (whence Span. and Port. lastar, ‘to pay on behalf of another,’ was borrowed), is derived from Goth. laists, m., AS. lâst, m., ‘footprint’ (see under Leisten), which are again derived from a root lis, ‘to go.’ This root has a constant tendency to pass from the sensuous meaning ‘to go, follow,’ into an intellectual notion (see Lehre, lernen, and List); comp. also leise.