An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/lungern

by Friedrich Kluge

lungern, verb, ‘to seek prey, yearn,’ Modern High German only; a derivative of the West Teutonic adjective, Middle High German lunger, Old High German lungar, ‘speedy, quick,’ Anglo-Saxon lungor, ‘quick,’ which, with Greek ἐλαφρός, ‘quick,’ is connected with the Aryan root lengh, discussed under the preceding word (see leicht).