Glimpse
Middle English (in the sense ‘shine faintly’): probably of Germanic origin; related to Middle High German glimsen, also to glimmer.
wiktionary
From earlier glimse, from Middle English glimsen(“to glisten, be dazzling, glance with the eyes”), akin to Middle High German glimsen(“to glow, smoulder”), Middle High German glinsen(“to shine, glimmer”), Middle Dutch glinsen and Middle Low German glinsen, glintzen, glinzen(“to shine, shimmer”), Dutch glinsteren(“to glitter, sparkle, shimmer, glint, glance”).
etymonline
glimpse (v.)
c. 1400, "to glisten, be dazzling," probably from Old English *glimsian "shine faintly," part of the group of Germanic words in *gl- having to do with "smooth; shining; joyous," from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine." If so, the unetymological -p- would be there to ease pronunciation. From mid-15c. as "to glance with the eyes;" from 1779 as "catch a quick view." Related: Glimpsed; glimpsing.
glimpse (n.)
1530s, "faint or transient appearance," from glimpse (v.). From 1570s as "a brief and imperfect view." Earlier was the verbal noun glimpsing "imperfect vision" (late 14c.).
