Rifting
/ˈrɪf.tɪŋ/noun
Present participle of rift: to split or open a crack; in geology, to form a rift valley.
Did you know?The core Germanic root behind rift is tied to tearing and splitting, which is why English also has words like rip and riven that carry the same violent fracture-energy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*riftō / *riftaną
“To split, tear, or break open”
Old English
OE
rift
“A cleft, crack, or opening”
Middle English
ME
rift
“A split or breach in something solid”
16th Century
English
rift
“A crack, fissure, or break in a surface or relationship”
Modern English
English
rifting
“Splitting, dividing, or forming a gap; also, in geology, creating a rift”