† self-witn.
Obsolete.
One's own knowledge or intellectual ability, esp. as opposed to the wisdom of God; reliance on this. Cf. self-wisdom n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > excessive self-confidence > [noun]
overtrust?c1225
self-witc1425
self-trust1526
self-wisdom1571
self-assurance1595
confidence1599
self-confidence1604
self-security1606
self-sufficiencya1617
sufficiency1638
self-wittedness1647
self-trusting1658
self-poise1774
suffisance1781
cock-surety1819
disinvolturac1847
cocksureness1878
cocksureism1889
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > wisdom, sagacity > wise man, sage > pretender to wisdom, wiseacre > [noun] > condition of
self-witc1425
self-wisdom1571
over wiseness1608
self-wittedness1647
over-wisdom1753
wiseacredness1848
wiseacreishness1895
c1425 Myrour to Lewde Men & Wymmen (Harl.) (1981) 226 Leue þi selfwitte & bowe þe to hem þat be more witty þan þou; And specialliche men schulde leue her silfwitte & her owne vnderstondynge in þe articles of þe feith.
1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie xxiiij. 140/1 God..will haue vs to be bereft of our selfe-wit and selfreason, and to giue ouer our selues to be gouerned by his spirit.
1651 J. Ellistone tr. J. Böhme Signatura Rerum Pref. sig. A4 v By Glosses, Comments, Curiosity and Self-wit, none shall be able to reach or apprehend it in his own ground.
1691 E. Taylor in J. Behmen's Theosophick Philos. iii. lxxiv. Answer 421 The Famine prevaileth, and forceth to bring the Beasts and Cattle, viz. earthy Desires, Self-wit and Subtlety.
a1732 T. Boston Wks. (1767) 378/2 Faith puts a knife to the throat of self-love and self-wit.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, January 2018; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
<
n.c1425