Zweck

See also: Zwéck

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zwec, zwic (“nail, pin made of wood or iron”), from Old High German zwec, zwecki (“nail, peg”), from a root probably related to Zweig (“branch, twig”); this is supported by Kroonen,[1] though Pfeifer is skeptical and leaves the origin open.[2] Cognate to Swedish svicka, svick, svicke, Danish svik, suicke, Norwegian svikk, Middle Low German swick, svik. Also German zwecke, zwicke.

The sense of purpose stems from an older sense were Zweck had the bi-sense of the central point of a target, thus: target, goal, objective, direction → intention, function, purpose. Also, compare 'nailing something to a wall'.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡svɛk/
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

Noun

Zweck m (strong, genitive Zweckes or Zwecks, plural Zwecke)

  1. purpose
    zu diesem Zweck ― for this purpose
    Sinn und Zweck ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    • 1930, Sigmund Freud, Das Unbehagen in der Kultur [Civilization and Its Discontents]‎[2], Vienna: Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag:
      Von einem Zweck des Lebens der Tiere wird nicht gesprochen, wenn deren Bestimmung nicht etwa darin besteht, dem Menschen zu dienen.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2010, Der Spiegel‎[3], number 32/2010, page 64:
      Für sogenannte Dual-use-Produkte, die potentiell zu militärischen und zivilen Zwecken einsetzbar sind, muss zuvor eine Ausfuhrgenehmigung beantragt werden.
      For so-called dual-use products, which are potentially usable for military and civilian purposes, one needs to apply for an export permit first.
  2. point
    Was ist der Zweck? Es ist jetzt zu Ende.
    What’s the point? It’s over now.

Declension

Declension of Zweck [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Zweck die Zwecke
genitive eines des Zweckes, Zwecks der Zwecke
dative einem dem Zweck, Zwecke1 den Zwecken
accusative einen den Zweck die Zwecke

1Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Kashubian: cwëk
  • → Polish: ćwiek, kwiek (Eastern Lublin, Hrubieszów)

See also

References

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*twig/kkan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 530: “G Zweck m. 'id.'”
  2. ^ Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “Zweck”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN

Further reading

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡svek/

Noun

Zweck m (plural Zweck)

  1. purpose
    All die Wertschaft had kee Zweck.
    All this hassle had no purpose.
  2. sense

Further reading

  • Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “Zweck”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German zwec, from Old High German zwec. Cognate with German Zweck.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡swæk/

Noun

Zweck m (plural Zwecker)

  1. purpose
  2. sense, point

Further reading

  • Zweck in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire
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