† unleesomeadj.
Chiefly Scottish. Obsolete.
Unlawful, illegal; prohibited; improper. Cf. unleeful adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > illegality > [adjective]
unleefula1382
unlawfula1387
wrongfulc1386
unleesomec1400
unlisible?c1425
wrong1480
unlegitimate1602
illicit1606
illegal1626
non licet1628
adulterine1640
unlegal1640
illegitimate1645
illegitime1669
wrongous1671
contraband1686
illicitous1693
sly1829
unprocedural1929
bent1930
bust-out1934
bandulu1980
c1400 tr. Aelred of Rievaulx De Institutione Inclusarum (Vernon) (1984) 35 (MED) Let brynge to þyn myende þe ornamentes of þyn oratorye and not fulfylle þyn eȝen wit vnlyfsum iaperyes a[n]d vanites.
c1480 (a1400) St. Matthew 10 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 190 Lewy, þat as a tollare þare wes sate, vnlessume wynnynge for to get.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 5104 in Wks. (1931) I And sum, for thare vnleifsum actis, Ar rent and rewin apone the ractis.
a1586 W. Dunbar in W. A. Craigie Maitland Folio MS (1919) I. 293 Thir merchandis takis vnlesum win.
1600 J. Hamilton Facile Traictise Sacram. 281 How mony ȝoung wemen..hes murtherit the fruict of thair auin wombes, some be vnlisome drinkis.
1818 Attic Stories xi. 135 Greinand wi unleisum lust o geir.
1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin x. 92 The loons that had received the unleisum stoutherie.
1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin xvii. 170 The unleisome possession o' the game.
1913 J. Service Memorables Robin Cummell 195 She bou'd to hae learned them by unlessum means.
Derivatives
unleesomely adv.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > illegality > [adverb]
unlawlyc1175
unlawfullya1350
unleefullya1382
wrongfully1439
unlawful1477
unleesomely1528
illegally1628
illegitimatelya1634
unlegally1638
illicitly1812
viciously1880
1528 D. Lindsay Dreme 230 Vnleifsumlie thay vsit propertie.
?a1600 (a1500) Sc. Troy Bk. (Cambr.) l. 1103 in C. Horstmann Barbour's Legendensammlung (1882) II. 259/1 [To] lat of hyre virgynite The closoures vnlefsumly [L. illicite] To be brokene.
c1600 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) II. 207 Putting hand in the quenis grace vnlesomelie..but athir law or ressoune.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
<
adj.c1400