Where does “zwanghaft” come from?
zwanghaft (German) comes from German Zwang, from Middle High German twanc, from Old High German geduang, from Proto-West Germanic þwangi, from Proto-Germanic þwangiz, from Proto-Indo-European twenk- — to press, squeeze; to squeeze, press, pressure.
zwanghaft (German): compulsive
Ancestry of “zwanghaft”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Zwang | compulsion, obligation |
| 2 | Middle High German | twanc | — |
| 3 | Old High German | geduang | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þwangi | belt, strap, thong |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þwangiz | belt, strap, thong; clamp |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | twenk- | to press, squeeze; to squeeze, press, pressure |