† unwitn.
Obsolete.
1. Lack of wit or practical knowledge; ignorance; stupidity, folly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [noun]
unwisdomc825
unredeeOE
egedec1175
unwitc1175
unwisdomnessa1200
dusileca1225
dusischipa1225
folly?c1225
kangschipe?c1225
unwitshipa1250
unwisenessa1340
cornardy1340
unwithead1340
lewdness1362
nicetyc1380
sotie1390
folitya1400
follinessa1400
foolheada1400
insipiencec1422
fondnessa1425
wanwita1425
cocardyc1430
foltry1440
jopperyc1440
folliheada1450
fonning?a1475
niceheada1475
foltheadc1475
folabilitya1529
daftness1552
foolageness1563
foppery1592
guckry1596
senselessness1606
coxcombry1608
goosery1642
ineptitude1656
fopicalness1660
fopperishness1683
insagacity1808
spoonery1824
spooniness1824
noodleism1830
addle-headedness1835
foolishment1852
insapiency1876
ineptness1877
goosiness1888
inepticality1923
sappiness1943
gormlessness1958
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > unfamiliarity with, inexperience > [noun]
unwitc1175
uncunningnessa1325
uncunninghead1340
uncunningshipa1400
rawness1548
unskill1565
disacquaintance1589
inexperience1595
inacquaintance1597
unacquaintance1598
unaccustomedness1611
unacquaintednessa1617
illiteracy1660
greenness1740
griffinishness1850
unfamiliarity1880
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6003 Ȝiff he nohht ne follȝheþþ witt. Acc unnwitt all wiþþ wille. Inn all þatt iss onnȝæn drihhtin.
a1225 Juliana 22 Hwi destu us ba so wa, þurh þi muchele unwit?
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 82 Ȝef wyt of þe wordle ne is bot folye ase zayþ þe wrytinge, and childhede, and onwyt.
c1380 Eng. Wycliffite Serm. in Sel. Wks. II. 374 God mai not faile on his side for noun-power or unwitt.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13936 Yee wat quat i am, and mi kin, O yur vn-witt quine wald yee blin?
c1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Bodl. 770) v. xiv. 99/1 It is verey vnwytte to any erthly creature..to trowen [etc.].
1468 Chron. Eng. in Hearne R. Glouc. (1724) 482/1 His hondes..shewethe sumwhat vnwyt and necclygence, for he vtterliche leueth the kepyng of hem.
2. An imprudent or foolish act.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [noun] > action, behaviour > instance of
unwitc1175
foliota1250
follyc1300
unwisdom1303
foolishness?1506
fooling?1545
foppery1546
foolery1562
filly-folly1565
impertinency1588
impertinence1603
silliness1624
idiotism1647
noddary1647
fondness1653
ineptitude1656
sottise1673
insipidity1822
bêtise1827
foolishment1871
jackassery1873
funny business1882
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8045 Þatt ifell gast maȝȝ oferr þa Þatt follȝhenn barrness þæwess. Inn illc unnwitt. inn illc unnitt.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13657 Þou caitif for-lorn In sin was..born, Queþer þou wenis vs nu here O þine vn-wittes for to lere.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [noun]
unwisdomc825
unredeeOE
egedec1175
unwitc1175
unwisdomnessa1200
dusileca1225
dusischipa1225
folly?c1225
kangschipe?c1225
unwitshipa1250
unwisenessa1340
cornardy1340
unwithead1340
lewdness1362
nicetyc1380
sotie1390
folitya1400
follinessa1400
foolheada1400
insipiencec1422
fondnessa1425
wanwita1425
cocardyc1430
foltry1440
jopperyc1440
folliheada1450
fonning?a1475
niceheada1475
foltheadc1475
folabilitya1529
daftness1552
foolageness1563
foppery1592
guckry1596
senselessness1606
coxcombry1608
goosery1642
ineptitude1656
fopicalness1660
fopperishness1683
insagacity1808
spoonery1824
spooniness1824
noodleism1830
addle-headedness1835
foolishment1852
insapiency1876
ineptness1877
goosiness1888
inepticality1923
sappiness1943
gormlessness1958
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 19 Zuych folie is wel y-cleped onwythede.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
† unwitv.1
Obsolete. rare.
intransitive. To know not; to be ignorant of something.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > be ignorant [verb (intransitive)]
unwitc1374
c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) v. pr. vi. 175 Whan þat god knoweþ any þinge to be, he ne vnwoot nat [L. non nesciat] þat þilke þinge wanteþ necessite to be.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 2 Cor. i. 8 We wolen not ȝou for to vnwite of oure tribulacioun.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
† unwitv.2
Obsolete.
transitive. To deprive of wit or wits.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > mental health > mental illness > drive mad [verb (transitive)]
turn1372
mada1425
overthrow?a1425
to go (also fall, run) mada1450
deferc1480
craze1503
to face (a person) out ofc1530
dement1545
distemper1581
shake1594
distract1600
to go (also run, set) a-madding (or on madding)1600
unwita1616
insaniate?1623
embedlama1628
dementate1628
crack1631
unreason1643
bemad1655
ecstasya1657
overset1695
madden1720
maddle1775
insanify1809
derange1825
bemoon1866
send (someone) up the wall1951
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) ii. iii. 175 And then..As if some plannet had vnwitted men, Swords out..In opposition bloody. View more context for this quotation
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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n.c1175v.1c1374v.2a1616- to move one's arse
- to move one's ass
- to move one's blood
- to move one's mood
- to move out
- to move out of
- to move out of mind
- to move over
- to move stakes
- to move the diaphragm
- to move the goalposts
- to move the wires
- to move to mind
- to move to tears
- to move tongue
- to move up a gear
- to move with leaden feet
- to move with the times
- to move, roll, or turn every stone or all stones
- to mow in swarth
- to muck about
- to muck around
- to muck for
- to muck in
- to muck out