English
forcleave
Forcleave comes from Middle English forcleven ‘to cut to pieces’, from Old English clēofan ‘to cleave, split’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*glewbʰ-‘to split’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kleubaną‘to split, to cleave’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kleuban‘to split, to cleave’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150clēofan‘to cleave, split’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cleven‘to cleave, cut’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500forcleven‘to cut to pieces’
- Englishtodayforcleave
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*glewbʰ-‘to split’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kleubaną‘to split, to cleave’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kleuban‘to split, to cleave’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150clēofan‘to cleave, split’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cleven‘to cleave, cut’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500forcleven‘to cut to pieces’
- Englishtodayforcleave
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- ‘to split’
clapper, glyph, cleve, 12 more
through Proto-Germanic *kleubaną ‘to split, to cleave’
through Proto-West Germanic *kleuban ‘to split, to cleave’
through Middle English cleven ‘to cleave, cut’
Today it means
verb to cut to pieces, hack, chop up.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- / forcleave