A long, narrow crack or opening, especially in rock or earth, or a division between groups.
From Latin 'fissura' meaning a cleft or crack, from 'fissus' (split), past participle of 'findere' (to split). The metaphorical use for social or political divisions developed later.
Geological fissures can be tiny hairline cracks or massive chasms like the Great Rift Valley, showing how the same process operates at different scales. The metaphorical extension to describe splits in relationships or societies reflects our tendency to understand abstract concepts through physical imagery.
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