An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/heischen

by Friedrich Kluge

heischen, verb, ‘to ask for, demand, require,’ from Middle High German heischen, properly eischen, High German eiskôn, ‘to ask’; the addition of initial h in the Middle High German and Modern High German verbs is correctly ascribed to the influence of heißen. Compare Old Saxon êscôn, Dutch eischen, Anglo-Saxon âscian, English to ask; Gothic *aiskôn is wanting. It corresponds to Lithuanian jëskóti, Old Slovenian iskati, ‘to seek,’ also probably to Armenian aiç, ‘investigation,’ and Sanscrit icch (icchati), ‘to seek’ (see anheischig).