An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Zweck

by Friedrich Kluge

Zweck, masculine, ‘nail, plug; aim, object, design, goal,’ from Middle High German zwëc (-ckes), masculine, ‘nail, plug in the centre of the target; aim, object, design’; compare zwacken, zwicken, and Zwick. How the Modern High German word (originally ‘nail’) acquired its most prevalent meaning ‘design’ is explained by the Middle High German term, of which the central idea is ‘the object aimed at in the target’; other cognates of the Middle High German word are wanting.