An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Laie

by Friedrich Kluge

Laie, masculine, ‘layman, novice,’ from the equivalent Middle High German leie, leige, Old High German leigo, leijo, masculine, ‘laïcus,’ (It is based on a Romanised Latin laïcus, whence also Anglo-Saxon lœwed, ‘layman,’ English lewd). The word was probably borrowed at a later period than the other ecclesiastical terms Priester and Probst.