'perilously-divided' originates from the combination of 'perilous,' which comes from Old French 'perilleux,' and 'divided,' from Latin 'dividere,' meaning 'to separate.'

'perilleux' transformed into the English word 'perilous,' and 'dividere' became 'divide,' eventually forming the modern English term 'perilously-divided.'

Initially, 'perilous' meant 'full of danger,' and 'divide' meant 'to separate,' but together they evolved to describe a critical state of separation.