Riven means split violently apart. A riven trunk, riven by conflict, riven in two.
It is the past participle of the old verb rive, which has otherwise died out, so riven survives on its own. It is used far more of countries, parties and families than of wood — a party riven by division is torn rather than merely disagreeing.
1adjectiverivenSplit violently apart.
“The old oak had been riven in two by lightning.”
riven is a state.
Middle English riven, past participle of rive, from Old Norse rifa, to tear or split.
Middle English
riven
English, today
riven
Built from
From Middle English riven, past participle of rive (“to rive”). Compare Old Norse rifinn, past participle of Old Norse rífa (“to pick, scratch, rive”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA