Rivening
/ˈrɪvənɪŋ/noun
The act of splitting or tearing apart; a rare or literary form related to riven.
Did you know?Rivening is built from the old Germanic root behind both “rive” and “rend,” a family of words originally tied to violent splitting and tearing, not gentle breaking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rei-
“to cut, split, or tear”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rībaną
“to tear, rip apart”
Old English
OE
rīfan
“to tear, split, or break apart”
Middle English
ME
riven
“split, torn apart”
Modern English
English
rivening
“the act or state of splitting or tearing apart”