Where does “Reißzwecke” come from?

Reißzwecke (German) comes from German Reißen, from Middle High German rīzen, from Old High German rīzan, from Proto-West Germanic hrītan, from Proto-Germanic hrītaną — to scratch, carve; to rip; to tear, pull.

Reißzwecke (German): thumbtack US, drawing pin UK

Definitions

  1. thumbtack US, drawing pin UK

Ancestry of “Reißzwecke”, step by step

Reißzwecke traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Reißen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanReißento tear (something); to pull (something) apart; to rip (something)
2Middle High Germanrīzento tear, rend, rip
3Old High Germanrīzanto scratch
4Proto-West Germanichrītanto scratch, carve; to rip; to tear, pull
5Proto-Germanichrītanąto scratch, carve; to rip; to tear, pull

via German Zwecke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZweckeplural of Zweck; thumbtack
Every word from Proto-Germanic hrītanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic hrītanEvery word from Old High German rīzan