zwingen German · revision 36175

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *þwinhaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈtsvɪŋən/, [ˈtsʋɪŋən], [ˈtsʋɪŋŋ̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''zwingen''' (class 3 strong, third-person singular present zwingt, past tense zwang, past participle gezwungen, past subjunctive zwänge, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|twingen]], [[inh|goh|dwingan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*þwinhaną|t=to constrain, force]].^(Kluge 2011|1020)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|2, 922) The same strong verb is [[osx|thwingan]], [[ofs|thwinga]] continued in [[nl|dwingen]] and [[sv|tvinga]], and the English verb [[m|en|twinge]] belongs here.^(Kluge 2011|1020)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Old Norse [[m|non|þvinga]], a weak verb recorded late, may be a loan from Middle Low German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|32, 1224)

+

+ It has no certain cognates outside Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|1020)^(Duden 7 2020) The only close match in form is an Avestan verb meaning “gets into distress”, which points to [[ine-pro|*tu̯eng̑ʰ-|t=to press]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|1020) with a final /k/ instead, [[lt|tvenkti|alt=tveñkti|t=to dam up]] and [[grc|σάττω|tr=sáttō|t=I stuff, press together]] have been compared, but the connection is doubtful.^(Kluge 2011|1020)^(Pfeifer 1993) The basic sense would be “to press a body together by force”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ The initial consonant shows a regular development: Germanic /þ/ became Old High German ⟨d⟩, Middle High German ⟨t⟩ and finally ⟨z⟩, as in [[Zwerg]].^(Wiktionary) The ⟨tw-⟩ spelling, found from Notker on, prevails in Middle High German until the end of the 15th century, and ⟨zw-⟩ begins in the 14th century.^(EWA|2, 922)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''dwingan'' is recorded from the 8th century, meaning “to force, subdue, bind, rule, restrain, chastise”.^(EWA|2, 922)^(Köbler AHD) In the oldest glosses its past participle is ''gidungan'', with the /w/ lost before /u/, as also in ''thunginus'' in the Lex Salica.^(EWA|2, 922)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative senses “to overpower, master, oppress” are fully developed already in Old High German.^(Pfeifer 1993) Paul lists “to press” (Luther: ''wer die Nase hart schneuzet, zwingt Blut heraus''), the obsolete “to subjugate”, now [[bezwingen]], the regional “to manage (a meal, a task)”, and the commonest sense, “to compel”.^(Paul 2002) The reflexive ''sich zwingen'' dates from Early New High German, and ''sich gezwungen sehen'' from the 17th century.^(Paul 2002) The participle ''gezwungen'' “forced, affected” has the negative [[ungezwungen]] “natural, relaxed” from the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002) The past tense kept the Middle High German ablaut (''twanc'', plural ''twungen'') until New High German levelled it.^(EWA|2, 922)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''thwingan'';^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|1020) ''twingan'' from the 9th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|1020)

+ * About 1000 – Notker writes ⟨tw-⟩.^(EWA|2, 922)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – Spellings with ⟨zw-⟩ begin.^(EWA|2, 922)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 16th century – ''zwingend'' “compelling”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 17th century – The phrase ''sich gezwungen sehen''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''ungezwungen'' “natural”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|force]], [[m|en|compel]] by threats or force: ''jemanden zu einem Geständnis zwingen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To force oneself: ''Er zwang sich, ruhig zu bleiben.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Of a situation, to make something necessary: ''Der Regen zwang uns zur Umkehr.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(elevated)'' To force someone into a place or position: ''jemanden zu Boden zwingen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(regional)'' To manage, cope with: ''Sie wird die Prüfung schon zwingen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bezwingen]]

+ * [[erzwingen]]

+ * [[aufzwingen]]

+ * [[abzwingen]]

+ * [[zwingend]]

+ * [[Zwinger]]

+ * [[Zwinge]]

+ * [[Zwingburg]]

+ * [[ungezwungen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Zwang]]

+ * [[zwängen]]

+ * [[en|twinge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}