Did you know that the word cleave, in the English language, acts as a verb with two entirely opposite meaning? It means both to divide and to bind at the same time. An excerpt from the website dictionary.com:
cleave
1
–verb (used without object) | 1. | to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually fol. by to). |
| 2. | to remain faithful (usually fol. by to): to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution. |
Origin: bef. 900; ME
cleven, OE
cleofian, c. OHG
klebēn (G
kleben)
cleave
2
–verb (used with object) | 1. | to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood. |
| 2. | to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path through the wilderness. |
| 3. | to penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.): The bow of the boat cleaved the water cleanly. |
| 4. | to cut off; sever: to cleave a branch from a tree. |
–verb (used without object) | 5. | to part or split, esp. along a natural line of division. |
| 6. | to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usually fol. by through). |
Origin: bef. 950; ME
cleven, OE
clēofan, c. OHG
klioban (G
klieben), ON
kljūfa; akin to Gk
glýphein to carve, L
glūbere to peel
Interesting.
