An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/lenken

by Friedrich Kluge

lenken, verb, ‘to guide, direct,’ from Middle High German lęnken, ‘to bend, turn, direct’; a denominative of Middle High German lanke, Old High German lanca, hlanca, ‘hip, loins.’ For further details see under Flanke and Gelenk; it is also perhaps allied to link, literally ‘oblique’; hence lenken originally means ‘to direct obliquely or sideways’ (compare link). It is also thought to be connected with Lithuanian lènkti, ‘to bend.’