Английский Этимологический словарь - list (n.)

- c.1280, from O.Fr. liste "border, band, row, group," from It. lista, from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. lista "strip, border, list," O.E. liste "border"), from P.Gmc. *liston. The sense of "enumeration" is from "strips of paper" used as a sort of catalogue. The O.E. word survives only in archaic lists "place of combat," at the boundary of fields.