A birth condition where the upper lip has a vertical split or cleft, named for its resemblance to the natural cleft in a hare's upper lip.
From Old English 'hara' (hare) + 'lip.' Medieval people noticed hares have a split upper lip and used this as a reference point to describe the human condition.
Hares actually have a small cleft in their upper lip that helps them smell better—it's called a philtrum—so this name isn't just appearance-based but reveals how medieval observers noticed functional animal anatomy.
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