Pa. t. clove, clave, cleaved, cleft; Pa. pple. cloven, clove, cleaved, cleft. Forms: see below. [Common Teut.: OE. clíofan, cléofan, pa. t. cléaf, pl. clufon, pa. pple. clofen, corresp. to OS. clioƀan (MDu. clieven, clûven, Du. klieven), OHG. chlioban (MHG., mod.G. klieben), ON. kljúfa (Sw. klyfva, Da. klöve), not recorded in Gothic:—OTeut. type *kleuƀ-, klauƀ—kluƀum, kluƀano-, corresp. to pre-Teutonic *gleubh-, in Gr. γλυφ- ‘to cut with a knife, carve,’ and perh. L. glūb- ‘to peel, flay.’
The early ME. inflexion was cleoven (clēven), clêf (pl. cluven), cloven. Assimilation to the pa. pple. soon changed the plural of the pa. t. to cloven, clove, and by 14th c. clove was extended to the singular, where clêf, clêve, became obs. about 1500, making the later inflexion clēve, clōve, clōven. The pa. pple. had also the shortened form clove, which survives as a variant in poetry. A pa. t. clave occurs in northern writers in 14th c., passed into general use, and was very common down to c. 1600; it survives as a Bible archaism. A weak inflexion cleaved came into use in 14th c.; and subsequently a form cleft; both are still used, cleft esp. in pa. pple., where it interchanges with cloven, with some differentiation in particular connections, as ‘cleft stick,’ ‘cloven foot’: see these words.
From the 14th c. the inflexional forms of this verb have tended to run together with those of CLEAVE2 ‘to stick.’ Though the latter was originally clive, it had also the variants cleove, clēve, the latter of which at length prevailed; the two verbs having thus become identical in the present stem were naturally confused in their other inflexions. The (originally northern) pa. t. clave, which appeared in both in 14th. c., is not normal in either; it was apparently analogical, taken over from one of the other classes of strong vbs. having a in the past, as from breke, brak(e, broken, speke, spak(e, spoken. (It would of course be possible to explain the pa. t. singular clove in the same way.) The weak pa. t. and pa. pple. cleaved were probably mainly taken over from CLEAVE2, where they were original; but they might also arise independently in this verb. For the subsequent shortening of cleaved to cleft, there was the obvious precedent of leave, left, bereave, bereft, etc.]
A. Forms.
1. Present stem. α. 1 cléofan, 2–4 cleove-n, 2–7 cleve, cleue, (4–5 clefe, clewe,) 5–6 cleeue.
a. 1000. Gloss. Prudent. (Record) 150 (Bosw.). Cleofan, scindere.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 61. He wile smite … mid egge and cleuen.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 7702. Many an hed wolde Y cleove.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 6736. Þair hertes sal nere clewe [v.r. clefe].
1483. Cath. Angl., 67. To cleve, scindere.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. lxxxii. 762. Which will soone riue, or cleeue asunder.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Hoof hurt, The horn doth crack and cleve.
β. 6– cleave, (cleaue).
1530. Palsgr., 486/2. I cleave a sonder.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr., 113 b. It cleaueth soonest by the fyre.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, I. viii. 17. That Earth that … doth clift and cleaue.
1697. Dryden, Virg., Pref. to Past. The homely Employment of cleaving Blocks.
γ. 5 clyu-yn, 5–6 clyue (-ve), 6 clyffe, 6–7 cliue (-ve).
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 82. Clyvyn or Parte a-sundyr a[s] men doone woode, findo.
1558. Phaër, Æneid, V. (1573), N iiij. Along by heauen his arow driues … therwith the skies he cliues.
1570. Levins, Manip., 117. To clyffe, scindere.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 135. Clyve the sides one from another.
1651. Raleigh’s Appar., 90. To cliue and pierce the air.
1686. Wilding, in Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), I. 264. For Wood & cliving it … 4s. 10d.
2. Past tense. α. sing. 1 cléaf, 2–3 clæf, 3 clef, 4–5 cleef, clefe, 5 cleve; rare plural 4 clef.
c. 1205. Lay., 21390. Enne cniht atwa [he] clæf.
a. 1300. Fall of Pass., in E. E. P., 70 (1862), 14. Hi … clef is swet hert atwo.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 326. Þe walle þorghout þei clef.
c. 1400. Maundev., viii. 86. The Roche cleef in two.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7318. He clefe hym to þe coler.
c. 1440. Generydes, 3035. He cleue a ij his hede.
β. plur. 1 clufon, 3 cluuen (= -ven), 4 clowen (= -ven), 4– cloue, clove; sing. 4–7 cloue, (4 clowe, 5 clofe, 6 cloaue), 4– clove.
937. Batt. Brunanb., in O. E. Chron. Bordweal clufan afaran Eadweardes.
c. 1205. Lay., 1920. His ban to-cluuen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7810 (Gött.). His herte in tua i wat i clowe [v.r. clair, claue, cleef].
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2765. This Thebes seyghen how men heom clowen.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 5169. Clofe the heid in twoo.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, li. 144. Eneas … cloue hym vnto the teeth.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxviii. 15. He cloaue the hard rockes.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. iv. 175. When thou clouest thy Crownes i’th’middle.
1702. Rowe, Tamerl., V. i. 2203. I clove the Villain down.
1883. Stevenson, in Longm. Mag., July, 286. Into the upper skirts of the crowd porters, infuriated by hurry and overwork, clove their way with shouts.
γ. 4–7 claue, (4–6 claif(f, 5 claf, clafe, claffe), 6– clave.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6262 (Cott.). It claue [v.r. clef, cleef, cleue], and gaue þam redi gat.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 633. He the hede till the harnyss claiff [v.r. clafe].
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 4752. He clafe his shelde in twoo.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt. (1880), 169. Hyt claffe a marble stone.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVIII. i. (1889), 689. He claf his helme.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 305. He claue him to the sholders.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 599. Richt to the schulderis doun he claif his heid.
1563. Homilies, II. Death & Pass. Christ, II. (1859), 422. The stones clave a sunder.
1611. Bible, Ps. lxxviii. 15. Hee claue the rockes in the wildernes.
1755. Wesley, Wks. (1872), II. 331. The earth also clave asunder.
1885. Bible (Rev.), Ps. lxxviii. 13. He clave the sea.
δ. 4–5 cleued(e, cleved(e, (5 -wed, -vyd, cleufit), 8–9 cleaved.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2340. A fayr baroun, He cleved to the breste adoun. Ibid., 3790. He clewyd his scheld.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4034. fflodys … into caues … cleufit the erthe.
a. 1440. Sir Eglam., 746. He clevyd hym by the rugge-bone.
1762. Falconer, Shipw., I. 849 (R.). She cleav’d the wat’ry plain.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xlvii. (1854), 444. The wild fowl seemed to leave a streak behind them as they cleaved the misty atmosphere.
ε. 6– cleft.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (1847), II. 70. The roccke that never before clyfte Clave that men mighte knowe.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 19. It … cleft his head.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 438. As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft.
1752. Young, Brothers, I. i. I cleft yon Alpine rocks.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 406. She cleft it with her lover’s brand.
3. Pa. pple. α. 1–2 clofen, 2–7 clouen, 2– cloven.
c. 910. Charter Eadweard, in Cod. Dipl., V. 179. Ofær ea on clofenan hlinc.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 4420. Lite failled þat he ne had Clouen þe hed.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 18. When þou hase … Clovyn hom.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 55. The stalke being tenderly cloven.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. viii. 182. Having cloven his head with many blows.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 1. 1. Cloven into thin plates.
β. 4–5 clove, yclove, 8– poet. clove.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 49. To haue y cloue hym al þat hed.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 738, Tisbe. This wal … Was cloue a two.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 1033. Þe armes … from hurr’ body y clove so was.
1719. Young, Revenge, V. ii. Till I had clove thy crest.
c. 1800. H. K. White, Gondol., lxiv. Wks. 1837, 73. His head, half clove in two.
γ. 4–5 cleued, 7– cleaved. (Always used in Min. and Geol.)
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Laud 622). Whan þe whal was to-cleued.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 353. A rodde, cleuede in the hier parte of it.
1694. Narborough, Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 51. Cleaved in his Quarters.
1818. W. Phillips, Outl. Min. & Geol. (ed. 3), 16. The topaz can only be readily cleaved in one direction.
1830. A. Fonblanque, Eng. under 7 Administr. (1837), II. 35. A force that would have cleaved an elephant in twain.
δ. 5– cleft.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. xxvii. 51. Stoonys ben cleft [v.r. clouen, 1388 weren cloue].
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. lx. (1495), 176. The synewe whyche is slytte and clouen … for yf a veyne be slytte and clefte.
1530. Palsgr., 486/2. As wodde is clefte.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., V. iv. 103. How oft hast thou with periury cleft the roote?
1755. Wesley, Wks. (1872), II. 331. One part of the solid stone is cleft from the rest.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 352. His steel cap cleft in twain.
¶ Cloved pa. t. and pple.: ? error for cleved.
14[?]. Tundale’s Vis., 1200. As he was clofy-d, styll he stod.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ii. 61. He cloued hym to the teeth.
B. Signification.
1. trans. To part or divide by a cutting blow; to hew asunder; to split. Properly used of parting wood, or the like, ‘along the grain,’ i.e., between its parallel fibers; hence, of dividing anything in the direction of its length, height or depth; also, of dividing slate or crystals along their cleavage planes, and other things at their joints.
a. 1100. Gerefa, in Anglia, IX. 261. In miclum ʓefyrstum timber cleofan.
c. 1300. Havelok, 917. Ful wel kan ich cleuen shides.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, viii. (Arb.), 14. A grete oke whiche he had begonne to cleue.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. i. 261. She would haue made Hercules … haue cleft his club to make the fire.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxii. 3. Abraham … claue the wood for the burnt offering.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 484. The Dog-star cleaves the thirsty Ground.
1705. Otway, Orphan, II. iii. 516. I … clove the Rebel to the Chine.
1722. Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1795), I. III. 205. A butcher swore he would cleave her head.
1823. H. J. Brooke, Introd. Crystallogr., 44. If a cube of blende … be cleaved in directions parallel to its diagonal planes.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. iv. 55. The sections into which our society is cleft are so numerous.
b. Often with asunder, in two, etc. To cleave down: to cut down.
[See A 2 α.]
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2231. A-two [he] cleued his scheld.
c. 1320. Sir Beues, 4514. Man and hors he cleuede doun.
c. 1490. Adam Bel & Clym C., 601. Cloudesly … Claue the wand in to.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 39. The knotty sting Of his huge taile he quite in sunder cleft.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. i. 63. To cleaue a heart in twaine.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 610. The mountain being cloven asunder.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 361. He was cloven down while struggling in the press.
c. To pierce and penetrate (air, water, etc.). Also to cleave one’s way through.
1558 and 1651. [see A 1 γ].
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 433. At their passing cleave the Assyrian flood.
1704. Pope, Windsor For., 188. The fierce eagle cleaves the liquid sky.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, IX. 447. Cleaving with my prows The waves of Hellespont.
1827. Carlyle, Richter, Misc. Whose wailings have cleft the general ear.
1852. Conybeare & H., St. Paul (1862), I. ix. 263. The vessel … would soon cleave her way through the strait.
1877. L. Morris, Epic Hades, II. 175. No sunbeam cleaves the twilight.
d. To intersect, penetrate, or fissure, in position.
1808. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 247. Thine is the stream; it cleaves the well known coast.
1874. H. R. Reynolds, John Bapt., iv. 232. Caverns which still cleave the limestone rocks.
e. Phrases. † To cleave a hair: cf. ‘to split hairs.’ † To cleave the pin: (in archery) to hit the pin in the center of the white of the butts (see PIN); hence fig.
1586. Marlowe, 1st Pt. Tamburl., II. iv. For kings are clouts that every man shoots at, Our crown the pin that thousands seek to cleave.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 15. The very pinne of his heart, cleft with the blind Bowe-boyes but-shaft.
c. 1613. Middleton, No Wit like Woman’s, II. i. 34 (N.). I’ll cleave the black pin in th’ midst o’th’ white.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. vi. § 31. To cleave an hair betwixt the spiritual and temporal jurisdiction. Ibid., IX. iii. § 14. Mr. Fox came not up in all particulars to cleave the pin of Conformity (as refusing to subscribe) yet [etc.].
2. To separate or sever by dividing or splitting.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27743 (Cott.). Man[s] aun wiit it fra him cleuisse.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 320. Fro þe body his heued … did he cleue.
1420. [see A 3 β].
1575. [see A 1 γ].
1755. [see A 3 δ].
1857–8. Sears, Athan., ix. 74. To cleave away our effete coverings.
1873. Mrs. Charles, in Sunday Mag., June, 625/2. The dreadful chasm cleaving us into separate existence was gone.
3. intr. for (refl.) To split or fall asunder.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2027. Hit bigon to claterin al & to cleouen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6251. Þou sal see it cleue in tua. Ibid., 24419. Þe stanes claf.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 61. Þe wal wagged and clef.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 82. Clyue, or ryue by the selfe, rimo, risco.
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, 302. The beake beginneth to ryve and clive from hir head.
1611. Bible, Numb. xvi. 31. The ground claue asunder.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., 220. The vaile of the Temple shall cleave in twaine.
1704. Newton, Opticks (1721), 329 (J.). It cleaves with a glossy polite Surface not perfectly plane.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 99. He struck the earth with his feet, and it clove asunder, and swallowed him.
4. intr. To cleave one’s way, penetrate, pass.
1655. trans. Sorel’s Com. Hist. Francion, X. 18. Cleaving through the Presse, he did approach unto him [etc.].
1805. Wordsw., Prelude, III. (1850), 68. Through the inferior throng I clove Of the plain Burghers.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xxix. As our swift frigate cleaved through the water.
1865. Swinburne, Poems & Ball., Lament., 74. I have cleft through the sea-straits narrow.
