misˈknow, v.
[mis-1 1 and 7. In early use largely Sc.; cf. misken.]
† 1. intr. ? To have an evil conscience. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17314 Me think ȝe haf to me misknawen of þat prophetz þat ȝe gart hang. |
† 2. trans. Not to know or be aware of; to be ignorant of. Also with clause as
obj. Obs.| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints iii. (Andrew) 902 Þe bischope þan, as Innocent, þat misknew al hyr entent. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. xi. 57 Misknawing quhat this ment. 1552 Abp. Hamilton (title), The Catechisme;..ane..Instructioun..in materis of our Catholik Faith..whilk na gud Christin man..suld misknaw. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus i. 62 That I was thair..thay did misknaw. 1581 in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.) 121 Gif ye haue red the antiquitie, ye can not misknau this. |
† b. in
pa. pple. misknown = unknown (
to).
| 1558 Kennedy Compend. Tract. in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 159 Because it wes evir misknawin to the Kirk of God. 1562–3 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 230 Quhilk article..suld not haif bene misknawin to the said Thomas. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii. 328 Our way we Know, and yet vnknowne to other, And whiles misknowne to vs. |
3. To know badly; to have a wrong idea of; to misapprehend, misunderstand. Also
absol.| 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 5 Than tha misknaw God and Fortoun so far, Na wounder is suppois tha get the war. 1645 Bp. Hall Rem. Discontents 108 If therefore we mis⁓know, the fault is in the mean, through which we doe imperfectly discover them. a 1663 C. Harvey Sch. of Heart xxii. iii, Some things thou knowest not, mis-knowest others. 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. i. iii, Great men are too often unknown, or what is worse, misknown. 1865 Ruskin Sesame 162 What she half-knows, or mis-knows. 1879 J. C. Morison Gibbon 26 It would be greatly to misknow Gibbon to suppose that his studies were restricted to the learned languages. |
b. refl. = misken 2 b. Chiefly
Sc. ?
Obs.| 1530 Palsgr. 638/1 Whan a man mysknoweth hym selfe it is a daungerouse thyng for hym. 1565 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 370 The greit honour we did unto thame..maid thame to misknaw thame selffis. 1617 Jas. I Let. in Bacon's Wks. (1830) XII. 329 You were afraid that the height of his fortune might make him misknow himself. |
4. Not to recognize (a person);
= misken v. 3.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxv. (Julian) 317 & twa lyand [he] has persawyt, þat he mysknew, fore þai ware hyd. c 1480 Henryson Mor. Fab. 48 Knew thou not well I was both Lord and King Of beastes all? Yes (quod the Mouse) I knaw, But I misknew because yee lay so law. c 1500 Melusine 102 Seeyng that he mysknewe the place for cause of the new toune & toure. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. x. 19 Na word he said, quhairthrow I did misknaw him, Because in sic ane stait I neuer saw him. 1840 Carlyle Heroes iv. (1858) 275 Why should we misknow one another, fight not against the enemy, but against ourselves, from mere difference of uniform? |
5. To refuse to recognize or notice;
= misken v. 4.
| 1483 Caxton Cato i vj, To thende that thou be not reputed for unkynde proude or misknowyng the..seruyse which they haue done to the. 1533 Bellenden Livy v. xx. (S.T.S.) II. 215 As Ignorant or mysknawing sic thingis as semys to my estate [orig. meæ condicionis oblitum]. 1572 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxiii. 255 Thay ar sa riche, that thay do vs misknaw. 1575 Fenton Gold. Epist. (1582) 75 In their prosperitie they misknow vs. 1632 Lithgow Trav. v. 212 He priuately wronged me, which I misknew, as vnwilling..to be too forward to seeke a redresse. 1633 Bp. Hall Occas. Medit. (1851) 111 We misknow our parents: not acknowledging any friend, but the tailor that brings us a fine coat. |
| absol. 1558 Kennedy Compend. Tract. in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 126 He that misknawis shalbe misknawin. |
So
misknowing ppl. a., ignorant.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. viii. (1868) 61 Fortune..euere mysknowynge of hir self [L. sui semper ignaram]. |