"Cleave" is a funny word that has opposite meanings

[kandrathe]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS MADNESS!

I'm about to buy a cleaver from my local hardware guy and I want to be sure it will split a body in two instead of gluing partial bodies together.

From the word maven;

"One word is from the Old English cleofian, and means 'to adhere closely and faithfully; cling', as in "to cleave to one's principles." The other word is from the Old English cleofan (with a long "e"), and means 'to split or divide by or as if by cutting blow', as in "to cleave wood," or figuratively as in "that issue will cleave the Republican party." In this case, though the two words were originally distinct, natural language changes have made their forms in Modern English identical, so they appear to be the same word. This is a common process in English, but only attracts much notice when it results in such obviously divergent meanings."

Repress? To hold back, or the press forward again?