riven

English

WOTD – 24 February 2016

Etymology

From Middle English riven, past participle of rive (“to rive”). Compare Old Norse rifinn, past participle of Old Norse rífa (“to pick, scratch, rive”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪvən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪvən
• Hyphenation: ri‧ven
• Homophone: Ruthven (one pronunciation)

Verb

riven

1. past participle of rive

Usage notes

An alternative past participle of to rive is rived, which is more common in American English, though riven is in use as well.

Adjective

riven (not comparable)

1. Torn apart.
2. Broken into pieces; split asunder.
   • 1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 68:

     “She shall be blasted like a riven oak! Drowned in sulphur! Torn by whirlwinds!”

Derived terms

• rivenness
• unriven

Anagrams

• niver, Viner, Niver, Irven, Ervin, Rivne, viner, Inver-

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• riva

Noun

riven m or f

1. definite masculine singular of rive

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Noun

riven m

1. definite singular of riv

Etymology 2

Participle

riven (neuter rive, definite singular and plural rivne)

1. past participle of riva and rive

Swedish

Participle

riven

1. past participle of riva

Anagrams

• ivern, viner