Where does “tocleven” come from?

tocleven (Middle English) comes from Old English tōclēofan, from Old English tō-, from Old English te-, from Proto-Germanic twiz-, from Proto-Indo-European dwis- — two-ways, in twain; twice, in two.

Ancestry of “tocleven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtōclēofanto cleave separate
2Old Englishtō-apart; to
3Old Englishte-Alternative form of tō-; apart, asunder; apart,...
4Proto-Germanictwiz-in two, in twain; asunder, in pieces; apart,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeandwis-two-ways, in twain; twice, in two
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwis- →Every word from Old English tō- →Every word from Proto-Germanic twiz- →