▪ I. † lere, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 læ̂ran, Kentish léran, 2–4 leren, 2–3 learen, 3 læren, Orm. lærenn, 3–4 lare(n, 3–6 lere, 3–5 ler, (4 lerin), 4–5 leere, 5 leryn, Sc. leyr, 5–9 Sc. leir, 5–8 lear(e. Also pa. pple. 3 i-læred, -learet, -lered, 4–5 y-lered.
[OE. lǽran = OFris. léra, OS. lérian (Du. leeren), OHG. lêran (Ger. lehren), ON. lǽra:—OTeut. *laizjan (for which Goth. has laisjan), f. *laizâ lore n.]
1. trans. To teach; = learn v. 4. In various constructions: To give instruction to (a person); to teach (a person something, or to do something); to give instruction in (a science, art, etc.).
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. iv. (1890) 272 He wæs sended Ongolþeode Godes word to bodienne & to læranne. a 1100 Gerefa in Anglia (1886) IX. 260 Ac ic lære þæt he do swa ic ær cwæð. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 95 Ȝif þe halia gast ne learð þes monnes heorte. c 1200 Ormin 18147 Sannt Johan Bapptisste comm to lærenn Þe follc to rihhtenn here lif. c 1205 Lay. 4312 Þeo alche dæie hine larden luðere craftes. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1053 Þu..lerdest hi to don schome And unriht of hire lichome. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1934 Constantin let also In ierusalem cherchen rere & wide aboute elles ware cristendom to lere. c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 13 Y wyl þe lere a medytacyon. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxx. (Theodora) 700 He..þe barne in with hyr tuke to lere. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 162 Hue..lereþ hem to lecherie þat louyeþ here ȝyftes. a 1400 Prymer 97 The wey of thi riȝtwesnesses lere thou me. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 33 Prestes schal be dampned for wickidnes of þe peple, if þei lere hem not wan þei are vnkunnand. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 100 Þe kyng thotht to do lere him vpon sciences. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1856 Of alle thre þou oghtist be wele leerid. c 1449 Pecock Repr. 426 He is..tauȝt and leerid of an holi man. 1486 Bk. St. Albans E j, Lystyn to yowre dame and she shall yow lere. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. Prol. 145, I sall leir the ane lessoun to leys all thi pane. 1556 Lauder Tractate (1864) 151 And, now, geue that ȝe wald be leird To bruke and to Inioye the eird. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. vii. 37 Able to..leir thame to knawe thair dutie. 1600 Fairfax Tasso xii. xl. 221, I did thee leare A lore, repugnant to thy parents faith. 1832–52 Motherwell in Whistle-Binkie (Sc. Songs) Ser. i. 42 'Twas then we sat on ae laigh bink, To leir ilk ither lear. |
b. To show the way to, lead, guide; to lead (the way).
| c 1320 Sir Tristr. 400 To wite þe riȝt way Þe styes for to lere. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 343 Lere me to som man my Crede for to lerne. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 25 For Hengestes was þe first duke of hem, And into þis lond he dede hem lere. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 1753 Graith gydys can thaim leyr. |
2. To inform; = learn v. 5. Const. rarely of; chiefly with n. or clause as second obj.
| 1300 Cursor M. 21494 Me war leuer yow for to lere Quar lijs your lauerd rode-tre. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas Prol. (1554) 7 In which processe, like as I am leared, He [etc.]. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 1110, I wott welle ye are leryd, My lordys dowghter shalle be wed To a man off myght. c 1470 Harding Chron. lxxiii. xxii, [Arthure] also gate, as Chronycles haue vs lered, Denmarke [etc.]. ? a 1500 Chester Pl. viii. 122 It is good that we enquyre if any the way can vs leere. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. ii. 156 Apollois ansueir speir, Beseiking him of succouris ws to leir. a 1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iv. i. (1651) 60 Lere me whylk way he wended. |
3. To learn, acquire knowledge of (something); to study, read (a book); to learn to do something. Also with clause as obj.
| c 1220 Bestiary 328 And ȝingid him ðus ðis wilde der So ȝe hauen nu lered her. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 354 Nu wot adam sum-del o wo, Her-after sal he leren mo. c 1300 Havelok 796 Y wile with þe gange, For to leren sum god to gete. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 270 Thanne wrouȝte I unwisly with alle the wyt that I lere! c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints vi. (Thomas) 398 Wyt is þat gerris þe fynd Ite, Þat þu lerit [nocht], & memore syne Is þat þu laris, þu nocht tyne, & vndirstandynge is [etc.]. c 1400 Beryn 790 Yf yee lust to lere Howe they were I-clepid. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxix. 132 All þe Iews..lerez for to speke Hebrew. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1548 He bade him lere John evangelist. 1466 Burgh Rec. Peebles (1872) 155 Master Jhon Doby swld haiff all the skwll, owttakand thai that leyryt to syng. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxiii. 54 Thay.. will at na man nurtir leyr. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 5 Ane scholar quhilk is to leir ony special science. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 87 Leir him to dreid, and traist in till him syne. 1585 Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 37 Then ye your self, in teaching men shall leir The rule of liuing well. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 8 They haue leiret nocht to defend thair townes w{supt} wallis. 1600 Fairfax Tasso x. xxv. 184 On that sad booke his shame and losse he leared. 1719 Ramsay Prol. to Orphan 8 And lear—O mighty crimes!—to speak and act! 1724 ― Some of Contents Evergr. v, The sons may leir, How their forbeirs were unacquaint with feir. a 1818 Macneill Poems (1844) 124 'Twas then my native strains ye leared. |
4. absol. and intr. To acquire knowledge; to be informed; = learn 2, 3 c. Const. of, on, at.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1832 Þai wald noght lere on noe lare. Ibid. 19538 Þat he moght of his craftes lere. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvi. (Baptista) 958 Of þir barnis herrod send twa to rome, to lere. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 3 And listeneth of my dreme to lere. 14.. Parlt. Love 3 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 48 Now ȝee that wull of loue lere, I counsell yow þat ȝe cum nere. c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 887 Lothe to Offende, and Louyng ay to Lere. c 1460 Urbanitatis 1 in Babees Bk., Who-so wylle of nurtur lere, Herken to me & ȝe shalle here. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 671 Lerand at scule in to thair tendyr age. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xli. 21 Be ȝe so wyiss that vderis at ȝow leir. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 6326 Wald God, said I, ȝe did remane all ȝeir, That I mycht of ȝour heuinlye Lessonis leir. 1562 Winȝet Cert. Tractates Wks. 1888 I. 24 Childer of happy ingynis, mair able to leir than I wes to teche. 1721 Kelly Scot. Prov. 13 As the old Cock crows, the young Cock lears. |
▪ II. lere
see lear, leer, lure n.1