Etymology

Derived from ON either directly from the v. represented by OIcel loga ‘to burn with a flame’, or perhaps a secondary formation on the ME n. (MED s.v. loue n.2) < an ON n., cp. OIcel logi ‘flame’ (wk.), log (str.).  There are direct cognates on the same root in WGmc, viz. with -g- OFris loga ‘flame’, and with -h- (i.e. without Verner's Law) MHG lohe and the OHG v. lohēn, MHG lohen. These suppose a PGmc *lug-, *lux-, which is also represented (with a different Ablaut grade) in OE (early WS) līeg ‘flame, lightning’ (< PGmc *laug-; cp. OIcel leygr, OFris loga, OHG loug), and should be further connected with *leuxt- ‘light’ (OE lēoht, OHG lioht etc.) and *leuxm- ‘light, radiance’ (OE lēoma, OIcel ljómi etc.) < PIE *leuk-t-, *leuk-m-.

PGmc Ancestor

*lug-, *lux-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

loga ‘to burn with a flame’
(ONP loga (2) (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far loga, Icel loga, Norw loga, Dan lue, Sw låga

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B2ac

Attestation

The few attestations of the v. in MED are largely from N and E texts, with the exception of (a1333) Herebert Come shuppere (Add 46919) (LALME LP 7410, Herefords.).  The related noun (MED s.v. loue n.2) is more common, again recorded disproportionately often from N and E and alliterative texts (inc. Jos.Arim.), but showing signs of wider dissemination (inc. Hoccleve, Trevisa). EDD cites MnE dial usage in Cum.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 679, 868; WA 226

Gaw 236 lowande is retained by Madden, Morris and M(G), but emended to [g]lowande to supply alliteration by all subsequent editors (other than Vant; see his 236n).

Bibliography

MED louen (v.2) , OED lowe (v.) , HTOED , HTOED , EDD lobby-lowe (sb.),  Dance lowande, Bj. 216-17, de Vries loga (2), Mag. loga, Orel *lu3ōn ~ *luxōn