Zange

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zange, from Old High German zanga, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, derived from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Dutch tang, English tong, Icelandic töng. Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian darë (“tongs”), Ancient Greek δάκνειν (dáknein, “to bite”), Sanskrit दशति (daśati, “to bite”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtsaŋə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋə

Noun

Zange f (genitive Zange, plural Zangen)

1. a pair of pincers, pliers, tongs, forceps

Usage notes

• While English has a multitude of partially overlapping words for tools of this kind, German generally uses only Zange and Pinzette (“tweezers, forceps”). All tools with a pivot near the front are called Zange. Those without such an element are also called Zange when large, but Pinzette when small.

Derived terms

• Kneifzange
• Rohrzange
• Zangengriff

Further reading

• “Zange” in Duden online