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Question

"If you are looking for a history of India, or for an account of the rise and fall of the British Raj, or for the reason of the cleaving of the subcontinent into two mutually antagonistic parts and the effects this mutilation will have in the respective sections, and ultimately on Asia, you will not find it in these pages; for though I have spent a lifetime in the country, I lived too near the seat of events, and was too intimately associated with the actors, to get the perspective needed for the impartial recording of these matters."
Which of the following is closest in meaning to 'cleaving'?

The correct answer is
splitting

Cleaving Meaning in Context

The question asks for the meaning of the word 'cleaving' as used in the provided passage. The passage discusses historical events concerning India and the British Raj, mentioning the 'cleaving of the subcontinent'.

Analyzing 'Cleaving'

In the context of dividing a geographical or political entity like the subcontinent:

  • 'Cleaving' refers to the act of splitting or dividing something into separate parts, often forcefully or abruptly.
  • The passage specifically links 'cleaving' to the division of the subcontinent into two parts.

Evaluating Options

Let's examine the given options:

  • Deteriorating: Means becoming progressively worse. This doesn't fit the context of division.
  • Arguing: Means having an angry dispute. While arguments might precede a division, 'cleaving' itself means the act of splitting.
  • Departing: Means leaving or going away. This doesn't describe the act of division.
  • Splitting: Means breaking apart or dividing into parts. This aligns perfectly with the 'cleaving of the subcontinent'.

Therefore, 'splitting' is the closest synonym for 'cleaving' in this specific context.

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Important Questions from Word Meaning

  1. Words in different daughter languages that are related to one another because they descend from a common ancestor are called ______.
  2. Choose the statement(s) where the underlined word is used correctly:
    (i) A prone is a dried plum.
    (ii) He was lying prone on the floor.
    (iii) People who eat a lot of fat are prone to heart disease. 

  3. Mahatama Gandhi was known for his humility as
  4. References: : ____________ : Guidelines : Implement 
    (By word meaning)

  5. "In spite of being warned repeatedly, he failed to correct his ______ behaviour." 

    The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is

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