An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/leisten
leisten, verb, ‘to perform, accomplish,’ from Middle High German and Old High German leisten, ‘to adhere to and execute an order, fulfil one's promise or duty’; corresponds to Gothic laistjan, ‘to pursue, yield.’ On account of its kinship with Gleise and Leisten, masculine, the meaning of the High German word (as well as the equivalent Old Saxon lêstan) must be based on the Gothic verb Anglo-Saxon lœ̂stan, ‘to perform, accomplish, hold, sustain, endure,’ whence English to last. The common Teutonic weak verb laistjan, literally ‘to pursue’ (whence Spanish and Portuguese lastar, ‘to pay on behalf of another,’ was borrowed), is derived from Gothic laists, masculine, Anglo-Saxon lâst, masculine, ‘footprint’ (see under Leisten), which are again derived from a root lis, ‘to go.’ This root has a constant tendency to pass from the sensuous meaning ‘to go, follow,’ into an intellectual notion (see Lehre, lernen, and List); compare also leise.