rend

From Middle English renden, from Old English rendan (“to rend, tear, cut, lacerate, cut down”), from Proto-West Germanic (h)randijan (“to tear”), of uncertain origin. Believed by some to be the causative of Proto-Germanic hrindaną (“to push”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱret-, kret- (“to hit, beat”), which would make it related to Old English hrindan (“to thrust, push”). Cognate with Scots rent (“to rend, tear”), Old Frisian renda (“to tear”).