See Zweck in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "zwecklos"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "zweckmäßig"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Verzweckung"
}
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Kashubian",
"lang_code": "csb",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cwëk"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Belarusian",
"lang_code": "be",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvik",
"word": "цвік"
},
{
"lang": "Samogitian",
"lang_code": "sgs",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cveks"
},
{
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"lang_code": "uk",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvjax",
"word": "цвях"
}
],
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "ćwiek"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Belarusian",
"lang_code": "be",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvik",
"word": "цвік"
},
{
"lang": "Samogitian",
"lang_code": "sgs",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cveks"
},
{
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"lang_code": "uk",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvjax",
"word": "цвях"
}
],
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed",
"Eastern Lublin",
"Hrubieszów"
],
"word": "kwiek"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "gmh",
"3": "zwec"
},
"expansion": "Middle High German zwec",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "goh",
"3": "zwec"
},
"expansion": "Old High German zwec",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "svicka"
},
"expansion": "Swedish svicka",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "svik"
},
"expansion": "Danish svik",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "svikk"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian svikk",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gml",
"2": "swick"
},
"expansion": "Middle Low German swick",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "zwecke"
},
"expansion": "German zwecke",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle High German zwec, zwic (“nail, pin made of wood or iron”), from Old High German zwec, zwecki (“nail, peg”), from a root probably related to Zweig (“branch, twig”); this is supported by Kroonen, though Pfeifer is skeptical and leaves the origin open. Cognate to Swedish svicka, svick, svicke, Danish svik, suicke, Norwegian svikk, Middle Low German swick, svik. Also German zwecke, zwicke.\nThe sense of purpose stems from an older sense were Zweck had the bi-sense of the central point of a target, thus: target, goal, objective, direction → intention, function, purpose. Also, compare 'nailing something to a wall'.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "Zweckes",
"tags": [
"genitive"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecks",
"tags": [
"genitive"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "strong",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"table-tags"
]
},
{
"form": "de-ndecl",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"inflection-template"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"nominative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"definite",
"nominative",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweckes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecks",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"definite",
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecken",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"definite",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"accusative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"accusative",
"definite",
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "m,(e)s"
},
"expansion": "Zweck m (strong, genitive Zweckes or Zwecks, plural Zwecke)",
"name": "de-noun"
}
],
"inflection_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "m,(e)s"
},
"name": "de-ndecl"
}
],
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Hauptzweck"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Reisezweck"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Selbstzweck"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Verwendungszweck"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Mittel zum Zweck"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Zweckbau"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Zweckbündnis"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "zweckdienlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Zweckentfremdung"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Zweckoptimismus"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Zweckpessimismus"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "Absicht"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "German terms with collocations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "83 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "German entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "26 7 26 7 26 7",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 3 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "26 7 26 7 26 7",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
10,
15
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
9,
16
]
],
"english": "for this purpose",
"tags": [
"collocation"
],
"text": "zu diesem Zweck",
"translation": "for this purpose",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
14
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
11,
18
]
],
"english": "intent and purpose",
"tags": [
"collocation"
],
"text": "Sinn und Zweck",
"translation": "intent and purpose",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
10,
15
]
],
"english": "Civilization and Its Discontents",
"ref": "1930, Sigmund Freud, Das Unbehagen in der Kultur [Civilization and Its Discontents], Vienna: Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag:",
"text": "Von einem Zweck des Lebens der Tiere wird nicht gesprochen, wenn deren Bestimmung nicht etwa darin besteht, dem Menschen zu dienen.",
"translation": "Civilization and Its Discontents",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
78,
85
]
],
"english": "For so-called dual-use products, which are potentially usable for military and civilian purposes, one needs to apply for an export permit first.",
"ref": "2010, Der Spiegel, number 32/2010, page 64:",
"text": "Für sogenannte Dual-use-Produkte, die potentiell zu militärischen und zivilen Zwecken einsetzbar sind, muss zuvor eine Ausfuhrgenehmigung beantragt werden.",
"translation": "For so-called dual-use products, which are potentially usable for military and civilian purposes, one needs to apply for an export permit first.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"purpose"
],
"id": "en-Zweck-de-noun-gbBt9DA-",
"links": [
[
"purpose",
"purpose"
]
],
"tags": [
"masculine",
"strong"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
12,
17
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
11,
16
]
],
"english": "What’s the point? It’s over now.",
"text": "Was ist der Zweck? Es ist jetzt zu Ende.",
"translation": "What’s the point? It’s over now.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"point"
],
"id": "en-Zweck-de-noun-JR~s1ZLl",
"links": [
[
"point",
"point"
]
],
"tags": [
"masculine",
"strong"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/t͡svɛk/"
},
{
"audio": "De-Zweck.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e3/De-Zweck.ogg/De-Zweck.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/De-Zweck.ogg"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Brill Publishers"
],
"word": "Zweck"
}
{
"categories": [
"German entries with incorrect language header",
"German lemmas",
"German masculine nouns",
"German nouns",
"German terms derived from Middle High German",
"German terms derived from Old High German",
"German terms inherited from Middle High German",
"German terms inherited from Old High German",
"Pages with 3 entries",
"Pages with entries"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "zwecklos"
},
{
"word": "zweckmäßig"
},
{
"word": "Verzweckung"
}
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Kashubian",
"lang_code": "csb",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cwëk"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Belarusian",
"lang_code": "be",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvik",
"word": "цвік"
},
{
"lang": "Samogitian",
"lang_code": "sgs",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cveks"
},
{
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"lang_code": "uk",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvjax",
"word": "цвях"
}
],
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "ćwiek"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Belarusian",
"lang_code": "be",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvik",
"word": "цвік"
},
{
"lang": "Samogitian",
"lang_code": "sgs",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"word": "cveks"
},
{
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"lang_code": "uk",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "cvjax",
"word": "цвях"
}
],
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed",
"Eastern Lublin",
"Hrubieszów"
],
"word": "kwiek"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "gmh",
"3": "zwec"
},
"expansion": "Middle High German zwec",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "goh",
"3": "zwec"
},
"expansion": "Old High German zwec",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "svicka"
},
"expansion": "Swedish svicka",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "svik"
},
"expansion": "Danish svik",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "svikk"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian svikk",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gml",
"2": "swick"
},
"expansion": "Middle Low German swick",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "zwecke"
},
"expansion": "German zwecke",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle High German zwec, zwic (“nail, pin made of wood or iron”), from Old High German zwec, zwecki (“nail, peg”), from a root probably related to Zweig (“branch, twig”); this is supported by Kroonen, though Pfeifer is skeptical and leaves the origin open. Cognate to Swedish svicka, svick, svicke, Danish svik, suicke, Norwegian svikk, Middle Low German swick, svik. Also German zwecke, zwicke.\nThe sense of purpose stems from an older sense were Zweck had the bi-sense of the central point of a target, thus: target, goal, objective, direction → intention, function, purpose. Also, compare 'nailing something to a wall'.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "Zweckes",
"tags": [
"genitive"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecks",
"tags": [
"genitive"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "strong",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"table-tags"
]
},
{
"form": "de-ndecl",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"inflection-template"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"nominative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"definite",
"nominative",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweckes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecks",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"definite",
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecken",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"definite",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "Zweck",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"accusative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "Zwecke",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"accusative",
"definite",
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "m,(e)s"
},
"expansion": "Zweck m (strong, genitive Zweckes or Zwecks, plural Zwecke)",
"name": "de-noun"
}
],
"inflection_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "m,(e)s"
},
"name": "de-ndecl"
}
],
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "Hauptzweck"
},
{
"word": "Reisezweck"
},
{
"word": "Selbstzweck"
},
{
"word": "Verwendungszweck"
},
{
"word": "Mittel zum Zweck"
},
{
"word": "Zweckbau"
},
{
"word": "Zweckbündnis"
},
{
"word": "zweckdienlich"
},
{
"word": "Zweckentfremdung"
},
{
"word": "Zweckoptimismus"
},
{
"word": "Zweckpessimismus"
},
{
"word": "Absicht"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"German terms with collocations",
"German terms with quotations",
"Requests for translations of German quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
10,
15
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
9,
16
]
],
"english": "for this purpose",
"tags": [
"collocation"
],
"text": "zu diesem Zweck",
"translation": "for this purpose",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
14
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
11,
18
]
],
"english": "intent and purpose",
"tags": [
"collocation"
],
"text": "Sinn und Zweck",
"translation": "intent and purpose",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
10,
15
]
],
"english": "Civilization and Its Discontents",
"ref": "1930, Sigmund Freud, Das Unbehagen in der Kultur [Civilization and Its Discontents], Vienna: Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag:",
"text": "Von einem Zweck des Lebens der Tiere wird nicht gesprochen, wenn deren Bestimmung nicht etwa darin besteht, dem Menschen zu dienen.",
"translation": "Civilization and Its Discontents",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
78,
85
]
],
"english": "For so-called dual-use products, which are potentially usable for military and civilian purposes, one needs to apply for an export permit first.",
"ref": "2010, Der Spiegel, number 32/2010, page 64:",
"text": "Für sogenannte Dual-use-Produkte, die potentiell zu militärischen und zivilen Zwecken einsetzbar sind, muss zuvor eine Ausfuhrgenehmigung beantragt werden.",
"translation": "For so-called dual-use products, which are potentially usable for military and civilian purposes, one needs to apply for an export permit first.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"purpose"
],
"links": [
[
"purpose",
"purpose"
]
],
"tags": [
"masculine",
"strong"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"German terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
12,
17
]
],
"bold_translation_offsets": [
[
11,
16
]
],
"english": "What’s the point? It’s over now.",
"text": "Was ist der Zweck? Es ist jetzt zu Ende.",
"translation": "What’s the point? It’s over now.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"point"
],
"links": [
[
"point",
"point"
]
],
"tags": [
"masculine",
"strong"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/t͡svɛk/"
},
{
"audio": "De-Zweck.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e3/De-Zweck.ogg/De-Zweck.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/De-Zweck.ogg"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Brill Publishers"
],
"word": "Zweck"
}
Download raw JSONL data for Zweck meaning in German (6.7kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable German dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-19 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (d1270d2 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.