tocleave

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*tōkliubaną“to split apart”
2. Old English · inherited fromtōclēofan“to split apart, cleave asunder”
3. Middle English · inherited fromtocleven
4. English todaytocleave

From Middle English tocleven, from Old English tōclēofan (“to split apart, cleave asunder”), from Proto-Germanic *tōkliubaną (“to split apart”), equivalent to to- + cleave (“to split”). Cognate with Old High German zechluiban (“to split apart, cleave asunder”).