*aistāną

From Proto-Indo-European*h₂eysd-, probably through a stative present *h₂eysd-éh₁-ye/o- (Kroonen 2013: s.v. *aistēn-; Rix et al. 2001: 260–61, s.v. h₂ei̯sd-). Cognate with Sanskrit ईट्टे (ī́ṭṭe) and Old Avestan -𐬌𐬱 (iš-) (Cheung 2007: 160;Grestenberger 2016: 127–28). Alternatively, Grestenberger derives the Gothic present from PIE thematic *h₂eysd-e/o-, with an original experiencer sense ‘fear, be in awe of’ (Grestenberger 2016: 127–28). Ancient Greek αἴδομαι (aídomai) is probably related under this analysis, although Beekes objects that PIE -sd- should regularly have yielded Greek -z- rather than -d- (Beekes 2010: 34; Grestenberger 2016: 127–28). The development into Germanic Weak class 3 remains uncertain, since neither the origin of the class nor its *-ai- ~ -ā- alternation has a generally accepted explanation (Fulk 2018: 308–13; Jasanoff 1973: 850–70; Mees 2023a: 347–64; Ringe 2017: 203–206, 286–89; Tanaka 2011: 254–60, 268–69).