An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/liegen

by Friedrich Kluge

liegen, vb., ‘to lie, be situated,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ligen, licken, OHG. licken, ligen, str. vb.; corresponding to Du. liggen, AS. ličǧan, E. to lie (ligjan, lag, legans, was the orig. gradation, but Goth. ligan in the pres.); the common Teut. vb. for liegen, which has numerous cognates in Aryan (root legh). Comp. Gr. λέκτρον, λέχος, n., ‘bed,’ ἄλοχος, ‘bed-fellow, wife,’ also λεχώ, ‘woman in childbed,’ λοχέω, ‘to give birth to’; λόχος, ‘lying in wait, bush,’ also ‘lying-in, childbirth, In Gr. epic poets aorist forms of a verb formed from a root legh, λεχ, have been preserved, λέκτο, λέξατο, &c., with the meaning ‘to lie down, encamp.’ The vb. is also wanting in Lat., where, however, lectus, ‘bed,’ a derivative of the root legh, is retained. OSlov. lęgą (lešti), ‘to lie down,’ lezą (ležati), ‘to lie.’ In East Aryan the root is unknown. Comp. legen, Lager, and löschen.