An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/leiten
leiten, verb, from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German ‘to lead, guide’; corresponding to Old Saxon lêdan, Dutch leiden, Anglo-Saxon lœ̂dan, English to lead, Old Icelandic leiða. All point to a non-recorded Gothic *laidjan, which (as factitive of the Old Teutonic lîþan, ‘to go,’ discussed under leiden) signifies literally ‘to cause to go’; compare senden, which also had originally this same meaning. With the factitive *laidjan is connected a Teutonic laidô-, feminine, ‘leading,’ whence Anglo-Saxon lâd, ‘road, journey,’ in English current only in loadstar, loadstone, and loadsman (Anglo-Saxon lâdmann), equivalent to Modern High German Lotse. Modern High German Leitstern, Middle High German leitstërne, masculine, ‘the polar star that guides the mariners, loadstar.’