An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/zwang

by Friedrich Kluge

zwang, masculine, ‘compulsion, force, restraint,’ from Middle High German twanc, zwanc (g), masculine, ‘compulsion, distress, oppression’ (compare Middle High German des lîbes twanc, ‘tenesmus, constipation’), Old High German dwang (gidwang), masculine, ‘distress, contraction, compulsion’; abstract of zwingen. Allied to zwängen, verb, ‘to squeeze, constrain, force,’ denominative of Zwang, Middle High German twęngen, ‘to use violence to, squeeze in, oppress,’ Old High German dwęngen, ‘to use violence to’ (Old High German and Middle High German zwangen, zwęngen, ‘to pinch’; compare Middle High German zwange, ‘tongs’); see also zwingen. A Teutonic root þwenh (Aryan twenk) is implied by Old High German dûhen, Dutch duwen, Anglo-Saxon þŷan, ‘to press, oppress’ (from *þunhjan).