From Middle English lait, layt, leit, leyt, from Old English līġet, līġetu, līeġet (“lightning, flash of lightning”), from Proto-Germanic *laugiþō (“lightning”), from Proto-Indo-European *leuk- (“to shine”). Related to Old English līeġ (“fire, flame, lightning”). Compare also Old High German laugazan, lōhazan (“to be red, shine, sparkle”), Gothic [script?] (lauhatjan, “to lighten”). More at lowe, light.
(third-person singular simple present laits, present participle laiting, simple past and past participle laited)
From Middle English laiten, leiten, from Old Norse leita (“to seek, search, inquire”), from Proto-Germanic *wlaitōną (“to look out, see”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to see”). Cognate with Icelandic leita (“to search”), Swedish leta (“to search, hunt, forage”), Old English wlātian (“to gaze, observe, look upon, behold”).
