Where does “leiten” come from?

leiten (Middle English) comes from Old Norse leita, from Proto-Germanic wlaitōną, from Proto-Indo-European wēl- — to see, perceive.

Ancestry of “leiten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseleitato seek, to search
2Proto-Germanicwlaitōnąto look around, look for
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-to see, perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wlaitōną →Every word from Old Norse leita →