An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. General: a gap or break made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft.
   

2. Geology: A narrow cleft, fissure, or other opening in rock, made by cracking or splitting.
   

3. Geology: An elongated trough in the Earth’s crust bounded by → faults.

Etymology (EN): M.E., from a Scandinavian source; cf. Dan., Norw. rift “a cleft.”

Etymology (PE): 1) Câk “fissure, rupture, cleft, crack,” related to caqidan “to drive a nail, strike together, fix a spike;” caxidan “to quarrel, strive;” diatectal Shughni cuγ,
Roshani coγ “breaking, tearing, ripping up;” Malâyeri ceqidan “cracking of a cold porcelain bowl when receiving hot water;”
Yazghulami cok-, coxt “to pound, to stamp;” Wakhi cuk-, cukt “to strike;” Ossetic cædyn “to shake, strike iron;” Lori cok “a mark fixed to separate two grounds;” Sogd. cax “to battel, fight;” Mid.Pers. (prefixed) pacên “copy” (see also Cheung 2007).

Gosal-darré, from gosal, → fault,

• darré, → valley.