An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/führen

by Friedrich Kluge

führen, verb, ‘to carry, conduct, deal in, manage,’ from Middle High German vüeren, Old High German fuoren, ‘to put in motion, guide, lead’; a factitive of fahren (Old High German faran), like Modern High German leiten, a factitive of Old High German lîdan, ‘to go, drive’; compare Old Saxon fôrian, Dutch voeren, ‘to lead,’ Old Icelandic fœra, ‘to bring.’ Gothic *fôrjan is wanting; Anglo-Saxon fêran means ‘to go, march.’ Hence the sense ‘to lead’ is essentially German.