godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
grind; crush by grinding
Rare verb meaning to grind or crush something into smaller pieces, often grains or similar materials. Not a common everyday word; more typical terms include 挽く (ひく) or 砕く (くだく).
昔は石臼で麦を碾き割った。
Long ago, they ground barley with a stone mill.
Rare kanji spelling using 碾 (grind); the word itself is uncommon and may be encountered mainly in older texts or specialized contexts.
Kana spelling for the first part avoids the rare kanji 碾 and is more practical for modern use.
Compound of 碾き (grinding, from verb 碾く) and 割る (to split, break). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 碾 is rare and typically replaced by kana in modern usage.