An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Gleise

by Friedrich Kluge

Gleise, neuter, for Geleise (like glauben, gleich, &c., from ge-l), ‘track (of a wheel) rut,’ allied to Middle High German geleis (rare), feminine, ‘trodden way,’ usually Middle High German leis, leise, feminine, ‘trace, track,’ Old High German *leisa in waganleisa, feminine, ‘track of a waggon’; formed from the Old Teutonic root lais, ‘to go,’ discussed under leisten; Latin lîra, de-lîrare, Old Slovenian lěcha, ‘ridge’ (from *laisâ), Lithuanian lýsė, ‘garden bed,’ are also allied. Compare Modern High German Furche and Latin porca, ‘ridge.’