An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/lauern

by Friedrich Kluge

lauern, vb., ‘to lie in wait,’ from the equiv. late MidHG. lûren, wk. vb.; it corresponds to Scand. lúra, ‘to slumber,’ MidE. lûren, E. to lower, lour. Comp. further MidE. lurken (for lûr ken), E. to lurk, which seems the prim. meaning of the G. and Scand. word. “To the G. term is traced Fr. lorgner, ‘to leer, ogle,’ from which the foreign words Fr. lorgnon, lorgnette, were introduced into G.”