Zweigen

Zweig is a German masculine noun meaning a branch or limb of a plant or tree. It can also refer to a subdivision or offshoot of a larger structure, such as an organization, a field of study, or an activity. The nominative and accusative plural is Zweige; the dative plural is Zweigen (for example: mit den Zweigen).

In botany, a Zweig denotes the woody extension that grows from the trunk or from another branch and bears leaves, flowers, or fruit. In everyday language it can denote any offshoot or sub-division, for instance “ein neuer Zweig der Wissenschaft” or “die Zweige des Unternehmens” in a figurative sense. For a branch office, the more common term is Zweigstelle, but Zweig can still appear in organizational contexts to indicate a subdivision or branch.

Etymology and related forms: Zweig is related to the English twig; both derive fromProto-Germanic roots for a small woody offshoot. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages and appears in Old High German and Middle High German texts with similar meanings.

Grammatical note: Zweig is a masculine noun. Its plural forms reflect standard German declension: Zweige (nominative/accusative plural) and Zweigen (dative plural). This shape mirrors the general pattern for many masculine German nouns ending in -eig or -ig in their stem, though usage often favors the more specific term Zweigstelle for a branch office.