Word Wrangling 101: Cleave

This commonly-used word in English, the type you hear from the mouths of politicians to the sounds of woodworkers, is a good lesson in semantics.

The word ‘cleave’ is unique among the commonly-used words in the English language because it has two different, and entirely opposite, meanings. The first meaning of ‘cleave’ is ‘to stick to, to adhere, to cling’. On the other hand, the second meaning of ‘cleave’ is ‘to split, to divide’.

Perhaps the evolution of the word from its German, Norse, and Greek roots got stumped by a fork in the road. Not wanting to choose either, the word decided to take both paths. That will probably explain why we ended up with an English word with opposite meanings.

Trivial? Well, I’ll have to agree. But isn’t it true that words like these makes learning English all the more interesting?

Welcome!

To those reading this post, I formally welcome you all. My name is MJ Mata, and this is my blog.

Although this isn't my first blog, this is actually my first in terms of my passion: writing. It may be a surprise for some who know me and my background, but this is who I am, and this is what I believe I'm good at.

Writing is an adventure for me, and this is something I truly value in my daily life. For me, the destination is not the main point. I will get there, someday. But what I truly value is the trip itself. Writing, and all its accompanying rules and standards, have its unique quirks that I really find interesting. And perhaps, as I go along, you might find something that will interest you as well.

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