† untimen.

Etymology: Old English untíma (un- prefix¹ 6, 6b), = Old Norse and Icelandic útími, ótími (Middle Swedish, Norwegian dialect otime).

Obsolete.

a. in (earlier on) untime, at an unsuitable, improper, or wrong time. Also in plural.Cf. Old Norse í útíma, Middle Swedish i otima, i otimom, in same sense.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > a suitable time or opportunity > untimeliness > [adverb]

in (earlier on) untimec897

untimelyc1200

out of timea1325

in unseasona1400

importunelyc1425

in an evil (also ill, etc.) hour1490

importunatelya1492

at ungaina1500

untimeously1513

intempestively1548

out of season1548

timeless1586

unseasonably1586

inopportunely1609

unseasonablea1634

unopportunely1651

timelessly1673

unseasonally1941

c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care xxi. 153 Swa se læce, ðonne he on untiman lacnað wunde, hio wyrmseð & rotað.

c1000 Ælfric Lives Saints xii. 76 Ælc þæra manna þe yt oððe drincð on untiman on þam halgan lenctene.

c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 207 He habbe ofte agilt on golliche dedes, on untime oðer on unluuede stede.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 254 Of ures mis iseide wið ute ȝeme of heorte. oðer in untime.

1303 R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne 2962 Ȝyf þou þys foly haunte..Yn vntyme,..For soþe þou synnest þer dedly.

c1386 G. Chaucer Parson's Prol. ⁋1051 A man shal nat ete in vntyme, ne sitte the lenger at his table to ete for he fasteth.

c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 105 To pleyin at þe tablys,..& at swyche oþere vayn pleyis, in vntyme & out of mesure.

1486 Bk. St. Albans, Hawking c vii b A lombe that was borne in vntime.

a1500 in Ratis Raving 18 Oft fore thocht of his riches he walkis in wntymis.

b. untimes adv. (genitive singular), untimely, untimeous.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > a suitable time or opportunity > untimeliness > [adjective]

untimec1000

untidya1225

untimesa1300

out of season1377

undue1398

out of time1483

untimeousa1500

importunate1529

inopportune1533

importunea1535

unconvenable1542

intempestive1548

unseasonable1561

untimeable1570

out-of-season1574

untimely1581

unseasoned1589

baldc1590

timeless1590

melancounterous?1602

untimelessa1607

unopportune1653

mistimelyc1680

mistimed1687

ill-timed1692

ill-seasoned1843

unchancy1860

intempestuous1885

unseasonal1935

a1300 Cursor Mundi 27799 O suernes cums..Vntimes spech or to be still.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 936 This hour..thow mycht haiff beyn away. Wntymys thow art, for it is scantly day.

a. A bad time, inclement season. (Old English only.)

ΚΠ

a1023 Wulfstan Homilies 297 Ic asende ofer eower land ælcne untiman, þæt bið egeslice great hagol..and unasecgendlice þunras.

c1130 Anglo-Saxon Chron. ann. 1124 Ðes ilces geares wæron fæla untime on Englelande, on corne & on ealle westme.

b. An unsuitable time for action.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > a suitable time or opportunity > untimeliness > [noun] > a wrong or improper time

unselec1200

untime14..

14.. Northern Passion (MS. I) 601 Thys is vn tyme of þe nyghte, In thys tharkenesse to preue ȝoure myghte.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online June 2019).

† untimeadj.

Etymology: Old English untíme (un- prefix¹ 6b).