diff --git a/lib/strings/strings.ww b/lib/strings/strings.ww
index 334bd4e5..dc35e7f2 100644
--- a/lib/strings/strings.ww
+++ b/lib/strings/strings.ww
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ package strings;
 import bytes;
 import encoding.utf8;
 import os;
+import types;
 
 // toutf8 — borrowed []u8 view of `s`. ref/hare/strings/utf8.ha:29.
 // `cap` equals `len`; the slice does not own a separate allocation.
@@ -606,3 +607,120 @@ export fn remaining_tokens(s: *tokenizer) str = {
 	let b: *bytes.tokenizer = s: *bytes.tokenizer;
 	return fromutf8_unsafe(bytes.remaining_tokens(b));
 };
+
+// rt_ensure is the runtime slice-growth helper invoked by the
+// `append(s, v)` builtin. Direct bind for the same reason as
+// lib/shlex.shlex (appendstr, 16B): the builtin's expansion stores
+// only 8B of the new element, losing the `.len` half of a `str`.
+@symbol("rt_ensure") fn rtensure(s: *void, membsz: u64) void;
+
+// appendstr — grow `*slice` by one and store `item` (16B). Mirror of
+// lib/shlex.shlex appendstr. Collapses when the append builtin learns
+// to store the full element width.
+fn appendstr(slice: *[]str, item: str) void = {
+	let newlen: i32 = slice.len + 1;
+	slice.len = newlen;
+	rtensure(slice: *void, 16u64);
+	let dst: *str = &slice.ptr[newlen - 1];
+	dst.ptr = item.ptr;
+	dst.len = item.len;
+};
+
+// splitn — split `in` on any byte in `delim`, returning up to `n`
+// tokens via forward iteration. The trailing slot (when more than
+// `n - 1` tokens exist) holds the unconsumed remainder. Strings
+// within the result are borrowed from `in`.
+//
+// The caller frees the returned slice via
+// `os.free(r.ptr: *void, (r.cap: u64) * 16u64)`.
+//
+// Hare's `([]str | nomem)` collapses to `[]str` here: ww os.alloc
+// has no recoverable failure path. Same precedent as
+// shlex.split / bytes.splitn.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:172.
+export fn splitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = tokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// rsplitn — reverse-direction counterpart to [[splitn]]: tokens are
+// collected from the end of `in`. The trailing slot holds the
+// unconsumed prefix (everything before the n-th-from-last delim hit).
+//
+// When the input has fewer than n tokens, the `done` short-circuit
+// returns toks UN-reversed (in last-token-first order). Mirrors Hare
+// at ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:219-224 where the in-place reverse
+// step is gated behind the n-1 loop running to completion.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:200.
+export fn rsplitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = rtokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+
+	// In-place reverse so callers see argv-order, matching Hare
+	// (ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:220). Element copy is field-wise
+	// through `*str` because `toks[i] = toks[j]` (full 16B str store)
+	// lands in the multi-word-store gap noted at cmd/w6c/cgen.c:6515.
+	let a: i32 = 0;
+	let b: i32 = toks.len - 1;
+	for (a < b) {
+		let pa: *str = &toks.ptr[a];
+		let pb: *str = &toks.ptr[b];
+		let tp: *u8 = pa.ptr;
+		let tl: i32 = pa.len;
+		pa.ptr = pb.ptr;
+		pa.len = pb.len;
+		pb.ptr = tp;
+		pb.len = tl;
+		a += 1;
+		b -= 1;
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// split — full split of `in` on `delim` (no token cap). Mirrors
+// `splitn(in, delim, types::SIZE_MAX)`. ww uses `types.I32_MAX`
+// because the index type is i32 (lib/CLAUDE.md).
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:242.
+export fn split(in: str, delim: str) []str = {
+	return splitn(in, delim, types.I32_MAX);
+};
diff --git a/lib/strings/stringstest.ww b/lib/strings/stringstest.ww
index 1fa936be..25e5bd1b 100644
--- a/lib/strings/stringstest.ww
+++ b/lib/strings/stringstest.ww
@@ -1064,6 +1064,146 @@ fn expect_str_done(t: *strings.tokenizer) void = {
 	if (!streq(strings.remaining_tokens(&t2), "a b c")) { fail(); };
 };
 
+// ---- splitn / rsplitn / split ----------------------------------------
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:245 @test fn split. Hare's vectors
+// mirrored here directly; element reads go through `&toks.ptr[i]: *str`
+// rather than `toks[i]` so the 16B str element copy stays out of the
+// multi-word-store gap noted at cmd/w6c/cgen.c:6515.
+
+fn expect_str(toks: []str, i: i32, want: str) void = {
+	if (i >= toks.len) { fail(); };
+	let p: *str = &toks.ptr[i];
+	if (p.len != want.len) { fail(); };
+	let j: i32 = 0;
+	for (j < want.len) {
+		if (p.ptr[j] != want[j]) { fail(); };
+		j += 1;
+	};
+};
+
+@test fn splitn_cases() void = {
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:247 — n=4 buckets the trailing
+	// "is Drew" as the remainder slot.
+	signalled = 1740;
+	let t1: []str = strings.splitn("Hello, my name is Drew", " ", 4);
+	if (t1.len != 4) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t1, 0, "Hello,");
+	expect_str(t1, 1, "my");
+	expect_str(t1, 2, "name");
+	expect_str(t1, 3, "is Drew");
+	os.free(t1.ptr: *void, (t1.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:263 — n > tokens leaves a single
+	// slot holding the unchanged input (delim not found).
+	signalled = 1741;
+	let t2: []str = strings.splitn("one", "=", 2);
+	if (t2.len != 1) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t2, 0, "one");
+	os.free(t2.ptr: *void, (t2.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// n == 1 — single slot holding the whole input as remainder.
+	signalled = 1742;
+	let t3: []str = strings.splitn("a b c", " ", 1);
+	if (t3.len != 1) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t3, 0, "a b c");
+	os.free(t3.ptr: *void, (t3.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// Empty input — empty result.
+	signalled = 1743;
+	let t4: []str = strings.splitn("", " ", 5);
+	if (t4.len != 0) { fail(); };
+	if (t4.cap > 0) {
+		os.free(t4.ptr: *void, (t4.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+	};
+
+	// Multi-byte delim set (byte-set semantics per
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:35) — split on ',' OR ':' OR ';'.
+	signalled = 1744;
+	let t5: []str = strings.splitn("hello;world,foo:bar", ",:;", 10);
+	if (t5.len != 4) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t5, 0, "hello");
+	expect_str(t5, 1, "world");
+	expect_str(t5, 2, "foo");
+	expect_str(t5, 3, "bar");
+	os.free(t5.ptr: *void, (t5.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+};
+
+@test fn rsplitn_cases() void = {
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:271 — reverse n=4 with the
+	// "Hello, my" prefix as the remainder slot at index 0.
+	signalled = 1750;
+	let t1: []str = strings.rsplitn("Hello, my name is Drew", " ", 4);
+	if (t1.len != 4) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t1, 0, "Hello, my");
+	expect_str(t1, 1, "name");
+	expect_str(t1, 2, "is");
+	expect_str(t1, 3, "Drew");
+	os.free(t1.ptr: *void, (t1.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// n > token count — done short-circuit returns toks UN-reversed
+	// (last-token-first order). Mirrors bytes.rsplitn (Hare's
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:219-224 reverse step is gated
+	// behind the n-1 loop completion).
+	signalled = 1751;
+	let t2: []str = strings.rsplitn("a b c", " ", 10);
+	if (t2.len != 3) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t2, 0, "c");
+	expect_str(t2, 1, "b");
+	expect_str(t2, 2, "a");
+	os.free(t2.ptr: *void, (t2.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// n == 1 — single slot holding the whole input as remainder.
+	signalled = 1752;
+	let t3: []str = strings.rsplitn("a b c", " ", 1);
+	if (t3.len != 1) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t3, 0, "a b c");
+	os.free(t3.ptr: *void, (t3.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// delim absent — first next_token yields the entire input as the
+	// sole token; second iter sees done and short-circuits with the
+	// 1-elem toks un-reversed (single element, reverse is a no-op).
+	signalled = 1753;
+	let t4: []str = strings.rsplitn("abc", "=", 5);
+	if (t4.len != 1) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t4, 0, "abc");
+	os.free(t4.ptr: *void, (t4.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+};
+
+@test fn split_cases() void = {
+	// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:255 — full split, every delim hit
+	// is a boundary.
+	signalled = 1760;
+	let t1: []str = strings.split("Hello, my name is Drew", " ");
+	if (t1.len != 5) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t1, 0, "Hello,");
+	expect_str(t1, 1, "my");
+	expect_str(t1, 2, "name");
+	expect_str(t1, 3, "is");
+	expect_str(t1, 4, "Drew");
+	os.free(t1.ptr: *void, (t1.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// Leading + trailing delim — empty tokens at ends.
+	signalled = 1761;
+	let t2: []str = strings.split(" a b ", " ");
+	if (t2.len != 4) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t2, 0, "");
+	expect_str(t2, 1, "a");
+	expect_str(t2, 2, "b");
+	expect_str(t2, 3, "");
+	os.free(t2.ptr: *void, (t2.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+
+	// Multi-byte delim set, byte-set semantics matching Hare's
+	// strings::split example at ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:235.
+	signalled = 1762;
+	let t3: []str = strings.split("hello;world,foo:bar", ",:;");
+	if (t3.len != 4) { fail(); };
+	expect_str(t3, 0, "hello");
+	expect_str(t3, 1, "world");
+	expect_str(t3, 2, "foo");
+	expect_str(t3, 3, "bar");
+	os.free(t3.ptr: *void, (t3.cap: u64) * 16u64);
+};
+
 export fn main() i32 = {
 	signalled = 1;  dup_cases();
 	signalled = 2;  concat_cases();
@@ -1099,5 +1239,8 @@ export fn main() i32 = {
 	signalled = 32; rtokenize_cases();
 	signalled = 33; peek_token_cases();
 	signalled = 34; remaining_tokens_cases();
+	signalled = 35; splitn_cases();
+	signalled = 36; rsplitn_cases();
+	signalled = 37; split_cases();
 	return 0;
 };
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index a75b32b6..ceca605c 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -1828,6 +1828,7 @@ package strings;
 import bytes;
 import encoding.utf8;
 import os;
+import types;
 
 // toutf8 — borrowed []u8 view of `s`. ref/hare/strings/utf8.ha:29.
 // `cap` equals `len`; the slice does not own a separate allocation.
@@ -2404,6 +2405,123 @@ export fn remaining_tokens(s: *tokenizer) str = {
 	return fromutf8_unsafe(bytes.remaining_tokens(b));
 };
 
+// rt_ensure is the runtime slice-growth helper invoked by the
+// `append(s, v)` builtin. Direct bind for the same reason as
+// lib/shlex.shlex (appendstr, 16B): the builtin's expansion stores
+// only 8B of the new element, losing the `.len` half of a `str`.
+@symbol("rt_ensure") fn rtensure(s: *void, membsz: u64) void;
+
+// appendstr — grow `*slice` by one and store `item` (16B). Mirror of
+// lib/shlex.shlex appendstr. Collapses when the append builtin learns
+// to store the full element width.
+fn appendstr(slice: *[]str, item: str) void = {
+	let newlen: i32 = slice.len + 1;
+	slice.len = newlen;
+	rtensure(slice: *void, 16u64);
+	let dst: *str = &slice.ptr[newlen - 1];
+	dst.ptr = item.ptr;
+	dst.len = item.len;
+};
+
+// splitn — split `in` on any byte in `delim`, returning up to `n`
+// tokens via forward iteration. The trailing slot (when more than
+// `n - 1` tokens exist) holds the unconsumed remainder. Strings
+// within the result are borrowed from `in`.
+//
+// The caller frees the returned slice via
+// `os.free(r.ptr: *void, (r.cap: u64) * 16u64)`.
+//
+// Hare's `([]str | nomem)` collapses to `[]str` here: ww os.alloc
+// has no recoverable failure path. Same precedent as
+// shlex.split / bytes.splitn.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:172.
+export fn splitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = tokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// rsplitn — reverse-direction counterpart to [[splitn]]: tokens are
+// collected from the end of `in`. The trailing slot holds the
+// unconsumed prefix (everything before the n-th-from-last delim hit).
+//
+// When the input has fewer than n tokens, the `done` short-circuit
+// returns toks UN-reversed (in last-token-first order). Mirrors Hare
+// at ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:219-224 where the in-place reverse
+// step is gated behind the n-1 loop running to completion.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:200.
+export fn rsplitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = rtokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+
+	// In-place reverse so callers see argv-order, matching Hare
+	// (ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:220). Element copy is field-wise
+	// through `*str` because `toks[i] = toks[j]` (full 16B str store)
+	// lands in the multi-word-store gap noted at cmd/w6c/cgen.c:6515.
+	let a: i32 = 0;
+	let b: i32 = toks.len - 1;
+	for (a < b) {
+		let pa: *str = &toks.ptr[a];
+		let pb: *str = &toks.ptr[b];
+		let tp: *u8 = pa.ptr;
+		let tl: i32 = pa.len;
+		pa.ptr = pb.ptr;
+		pa.len = pb.len;
+		pb.ptr = tp;
+		pb.len = tl;
+		a += 1;
+		b -= 1;
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// split — full split of `in` on `delim` (no token cap). Mirrors
+// `splitn(in, delim, types::SIZE_MAX)`. ww uses `types.I32_MAX`
+// because the index type is i32 (lib/CLAUDE.md).
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:242.
+export fn split(in: str, delim: str) []str = {
+	return splitn(in, delim, types.I32_MAX);
+};
+
 // strconv — number↔string conversions.
 //
 // Mirrors Hare's strconv:: surface. The *tos functions return a
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index 4396dc37..6ead08e5 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -1828,6 +1828,7 @@ package strings;
 import bytes;
 import encoding.utf8;
 import os;
+import types;
 
 // toutf8 — borrowed []u8 view of `s`. ref/hare/strings/utf8.ha:29.
 // `cap` equals `len`; the slice does not own a separate allocation.
@@ -2404,6 +2405,123 @@ export fn remaining_tokens(s: *tokenizer) str = {
 	return fromutf8_unsafe(bytes.remaining_tokens(b));
 };
 
+// rt_ensure is the runtime slice-growth helper invoked by the
+// `append(s, v)` builtin. Direct bind for the same reason as
+// lib/shlex.shlex (appendstr, 16B): the builtin's expansion stores
+// only 8B of the new element, losing the `.len` half of a `str`.
+@symbol("rt_ensure") fn rtensure(s: *void, membsz: u64) void;
+
+// appendstr — grow `*slice` by one and store `item` (16B). Mirror of
+// lib/shlex.shlex appendstr. Collapses when the append builtin learns
+// to store the full element width.
+fn appendstr(slice: *[]str, item: str) void = {
+	let newlen: i32 = slice.len + 1;
+	slice.len = newlen;
+	rtensure(slice: *void, 16u64);
+	let dst: *str = &slice.ptr[newlen - 1];
+	dst.ptr = item.ptr;
+	dst.len = item.len;
+};
+
+// splitn — split `in` on any byte in `delim`, returning up to `n`
+// tokens via forward iteration. The trailing slot (when more than
+// `n - 1` tokens exist) holds the unconsumed remainder. Strings
+// within the result are borrowed from `in`.
+//
+// The caller frees the returned slice via
+// `os.free(r.ptr: *void, (r.cap: u64) * 16u64)`.
+//
+// Hare's `([]str | nomem)` collapses to `[]str` here: ww os.alloc
+// has no recoverable failure path. Same precedent as
+// shlex.split / bytes.splitn.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:172.
+export fn splitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = tokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// rsplitn — reverse-direction counterpart to [[splitn]]: tokens are
+// collected from the end of `in`. The trailing slot holds the
+// unconsumed prefix (everything before the n-th-from-last delim hit).
+//
+// When the input has fewer than n tokens, the `done` short-circuit
+// returns toks UN-reversed (in last-token-first order). Mirrors Hare
+// at ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:219-224 where the in-place reverse
+// step is gated behind the n-1 loop running to completion.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:200.
+export fn rsplitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = rtokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+
+	// In-place reverse so callers see argv-order, matching Hare
+	// (ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:220). Element copy is field-wise
+	// through `*str` because `toks[i] = toks[j]` (full 16B str store)
+	// lands in the multi-word-store gap noted at cmd/w6c/cgen.c:6515.
+	let a: i32 = 0;
+	let b: i32 = toks.len - 1;
+	for (a < b) {
+		let pa: *str = &toks.ptr[a];
+		let pb: *str = &toks.ptr[b];
+		let tp: *u8 = pa.ptr;
+		let tl: i32 = pa.len;
+		pa.ptr = pb.ptr;
+		pa.len = pb.len;
+		pb.ptr = tp;
+		pb.len = tl;
+		a += 1;
+		b -= 1;
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// split — full split of `in` on `delim` (no token cap). Mirrors
+// `splitn(in, delim, types::SIZE_MAX)`. ww uses `types.I32_MAX`
+// because the index type is i32 (lib/CLAUDE.md).
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:242.
+export fn split(in: str, delim: str) []str = {
+	return splitn(in, delim, types.I32_MAX);
+};
+
 // strconv — number↔string conversions.
 //
 // Mirrors Hare's strconv:: surface. The *tos functions return a
diff --git a/selfhost/test/smoke.combined.ww b/selfhost/test/smoke.combined.ww
index a036f883..dcd607a2 100644
--- a/selfhost/test/smoke.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/test/smoke.combined.ww
@@ -1719,6 +1719,7 @@ package strings;
 import bytes;
 import encoding.utf8;
 import os;
+import types;
 
 // toutf8 — borrowed []u8 view of `s`. ref/hare/strings/utf8.ha:29.
 // `cap` equals `len`; the slice does not own a separate allocation.
@@ -2295,6 +2296,123 @@ export fn remaining_tokens(s: *tokenizer) str = {
 	return fromutf8_unsafe(bytes.remaining_tokens(b));
 };
 
+// rt_ensure is the runtime slice-growth helper invoked by the
+// `append(s, v)` builtin. Direct bind for the same reason as
+// lib/shlex.shlex (appendstr, 16B): the builtin's expansion stores
+// only 8B of the new element, losing the `.len` half of a `str`.
+@symbol("rt_ensure") fn rtensure(s: *void, membsz: u64) void;
+
+// appendstr — grow `*slice` by one and store `item` (16B). Mirror of
+// lib/shlex.shlex appendstr. Collapses when the append builtin learns
+// to store the full element width.
+fn appendstr(slice: *[]str, item: str) void = {
+	let newlen: i32 = slice.len + 1;
+	slice.len = newlen;
+	rtensure(slice: *void, 16u64);
+	let dst: *str = &slice.ptr[newlen - 1];
+	dst.ptr = item.ptr;
+	dst.len = item.len;
+};
+
+// splitn — split `in` on any byte in `delim`, returning up to `n`
+// tokens via forward iteration. The trailing slot (when more than
+// `n - 1` tokens exist) holds the unconsumed remainder. Strings
+// within the result are borrowed from `in`.
+//
+// The caller frees the returned slice via
+// `os.free(r.ptr: *void, (r.cap: u64) * 16u64)`.
+//
+// Hare's `([]str | nomem)` collapses to `[]str` here: ww os.alloc
+// has no recoverable failure path. Same precedent as
+// shlex.split / bytes.splitn.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:172.
+export fn splitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = tokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// rsplitn — reverse-direction counterpart to [[splitn]]: tokens are
+// collected from the end of `in`. The trailing slot holds the
+// unconsumed prefix (everything before the n-th-from-last delim hit).
+//
+// When the input has fewer than n tokens, the `done` short-circuit
+// returns toks UN-reversed (in last-token-first order). Mirrors Hare
+// at ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:219-224 where the in-place reverse
+// step is gated behind the n-1 loop running to completion.
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:200.
+export fn rsplitn(in: str, delim: str, n: i32) []str = {
+	let toks: []str;
+	toks.ptr = nil: *str;
+	toks.len = 0;
+	toks.cap = 0;
+	let tok: tokenizer = rtokenize(in, delim);
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < n - 1) {
+		match (next_token(&tok)) {
+		case let s: str => { appendstr(&toks, s); };
+		case bytes.done => { return toks; };
+		};
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	match (peek_token(&tok)) {
+	case bytes.done  => void;
+	case let pk: str => {
+		let r: str = remaining_tokens(&tok);
+		appendstr(&toks, r);
+	};
+	};
+
+	// In-place reverse so callers see argv-order, matching Hare
+	// (ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:220). Element copy is field-wise
+	// through `*str` because `toks[i] = toks[j]` (full 16B str store)
+	// lands in the multi-word-store gap noted at cmd/w6c/cgen.c:6515.
+	let a: i32 = 0;
+	let b: i32 = toks.len - 1;
+	for (a < b) {
+		let pa: *str = &toks.ptr[a];
+		let pb: *str = &toks.ptr[b];
+		let tp: *u8 = pa.ptr;
+		let tl: i32 = pa.len;
+		pa.ptr = pb.ptr;
+		pa.len = pb.len;
+		pb.ptr = tp;
+		pb.len = tl;
+		a += 1;
+		b -= 1;
+	};
+	return toks;
+};
+
+// split — full split of `in` on `delim` (no token cap). Mirrors
+// `splitn(in, delim, types::SIZE_MAX)`. ww uses `types.I32_MAX`
+// because the index type is i32 (lib/CLAUDE.md).
+//
+// ref/hare/strings/tokenize.ha:242.
+export fn split(in: str, delim: str) []str = {
+	return splitn(in, delim, types.I32_MAX);
+};
+
 // strconv — number↔string conversions.
 //
 // Mirrors Hare's strconv:: surface. The *tos functions return a