William Shakespeare introduced split into English in The Comedy of Errors, when a ship hit a mighty rock and “was splitted in the midst”. The ship was carrying Egeon of Syracuse in Sicily, his wife Emilia, their twin baby sons, ‘not distinguishable’, and their twin servants, ‘both alike’. Two ships rescued Egeon and Emilia, together with one son each and his servant, the latter being taken to Ephesus in Greece.