An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/drängen

by Friedrich Kluge

drängen, verb, ‘to press, pinch, dun,’ from Middle High German dręngen, factitive of dringen. Drangsal is early Modern High German; -sal is the frequentative Modern High German, suffix, the older form of which is as isal, Gothic isl, Anglo-Saxon and English -ls. Gothic formed from the same stem, but by a different gradation, an abstract þreihsl, ‘hardship, oppression.’