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From: wyatt@cfa.UUCP (Bill Wyatt)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Semantic Reversals
Message-ID: <126@cfa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 12:54:53 EST
Article-I.D.: cfa.126
Posted: Wed Feb 27 12:54:53 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:07:51 EST
References: <108@ISM780.UUCP> <398@hou5h.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Lines: 13

"Cleave" means (1) "to split apart"
               (2) "to adhere to"

The first meaning is transitive, e.g. cleaving firewood, while the
second is (always?) intransitive, e.g., (a phrase from the woman's vows
in an old-fashioned wedding ceremony) "Wilt thou cleave unto thine husband?", 
and is rarely used, although not quite archaic.

The two forms come from slightly different Old English words (I don't
have an OED, so I'm not sure which ones) that probably became confused
over the centuries.
-- 
Bill  {harvard,genrad,allegra,ihnp4}!wjh12!cfa!wyatt