asunder
SYLLABICATION: a·sun·der
PRONUNCIATION: -sndr
ADVERB: 1. Into separate parts or pieces: broken asunder. 2. Apart from each other either in position or in direction: The curtains had been drawn asunder.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English on sundran : on, on; see on + sundran, separately (from sunder, apart).
OTHER FORMS: a·sunder —ADJECTIVE
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
From latin scindere perhaps?
asunder
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Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 8107
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
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Asunder has long been one of my favorites, now that I'm reminded of it. It's a nice strong word. It goes well with "rent," as in torn. Somehow, using it to speak of curtains, while I understand the usage, seems wrong. Curtains lack a certain gravitas that this word implies for me.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
Agree. To me too the rendering is different.Asunder has long been one of my favorites, now that I'm reminded of it. It's a nice strong word. It goes well with "rent," as in torn. Somehow, using it to speak of curtains, while I understand the usage, seems wrong. Curtains lack a certain gravitas that this word implies for me.
Rent stands for rend, I imagine
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