The German word Schwank (plural Schwänke) goes back to MHG swanc, a noun derived from the verb swingen, which denotes a swaying motion, a swing, punch, or prank, and from the 15th century on also a story of a prank. Beginning in the 16th century, the plural schwencke was established as a term for collections of such stories.
Today Schwank is used in various senses: either as a term for a distinct literary genre or as a specific form of writing that can be realized in …