▪ I. † unˈwitting, vbl. n. Obs.
[un-1 13.]
1. Lack of knowledge; ignorance.
| 1382 Wyclif Acts iii. 17, I woot that by vnwittinge [L. ignorantiam] ȝe diden, as and ȝoure princes. 1620 T. Granger Div. Logike 34 The involuntarie vnwitting causeth, or effecteth a thing being ignorant thereof. |
2. Unsoundness of mind; insanity.
| 1527 Andrew Brunswyke's Distyll. Waters xvi. B. ij, [Borage-] water..is good agaynst madnes or vnwytyng [G. unsvnnigkeit] and melancolye. |
▪ II. unˈwitting, ppl. a. [OE. unwitende (un-1 10, 5 d), = OS. unwitandi, OHG. unwiȥȥanti, -enti, etc., MHG. unwiȥȥende (G. unwissend), ON. {uacu}vitandi (Norw. uvitande, MSw. ovitande, Sw. ovetande, Da. uvidende), Goth. unwitands. Cf. unweeting ppl. a.] Rare after
c 1600, until revived (perhaps after
unweeting ppl. a.)
c 1800.
1. Having no knowledge or cognizance of a particular fact, thing, etc.; not knowing, unaware, unconscious; hence, unheeding, regardless. Sometimes
quasi-adv. (
= unwittingly adv.).
| pred. c 893 K. ælfred Oros. v. xiv. (1883) 248 He eac moniᵹ tacen self ᵹedyde..þeh he hie unwitende dyde. Ibid. v. xv. 250 He oft unwitende sloᵹ mid his heafde on þone waᵹ. c 1375 Cursor M. 19100 (Fairf.), [I] vnderstande Þat ȝe him slogh vn-witande. 1382 Wyclif Joshua xx. 3 Whoso euer a lijf hath smytun vnwitynge. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle i. xiii. (Caxton, 1483) 7 He was weschen vnwiting, and nought willyng hym self..that he ne myght..discerne to chesen good ne euyl. a 1450 Mirk's Festial 30 Scho..toke Seynt Steuen's bonys ynstude of hyr maystyrs, vnwyttyng. 1513 Douglas æneid iii. ix. 53 My falloschip vnwitting forȝet me heir. c 1580 Sidney Ps. xxxv. vii, Then abiects, while I was unwitting quite, Against me swarme. 1613 Fletcher, etc. Hon. Man's Fort. ii. i, I crave your Lordships pardon, your sudden apprehension on my steps made me to frame an answer unwitting and unworthy your respect. |
| 1801 Southey Thalaba viii. ii, His lean fingers play'd, Unwitting, with the grass that grew beside. 1852 Kingsley Andromeda 50 No word, once spoken, returneth, Even if uttered unwitting. 1868 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 407 From her lips unwitting came a moan. |
| attrib. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 53 Thee crack rack crashing the vnwitting pastor amazeth. 1833 H. Coleridge North. Worthies 5 The danger of which he had been the unwitting cause. 1884 Chr. Commonwealth 21 Feb. 439/2 Popular practice..imposes that ceremony [sc. baptism] on an unwitting babe. |
b. Const.
of.
| 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy iv. 4863 Þou knewe nouȝt of þat offence, But fully were vnwytinge of þe dede. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. A j, Both of them.., unwitting of so much themselves, giving place to Christ. 1612 Field Woman a Weathercock ii. i. D 1, This strange shape He altogether is vnwitting of. |
| 1876 Black Madcap Violet xxv, Drummond, all unwitting of any change. 1887 Bowen æneid iii. 569 On the Cyclops coast, of the course unwitting, we run. |
c. With direct object or objective clause.
| (a) c 1400 Sc. Trojan War ii. 712 It plesed to Pryame þe kyng, As wnwittand þar purposyng. 1869 ‘Ouida’ Tricotrin xix, ‘But?’ asked the child,..unwitting the frightful truth that lay in the words. |
| (b) 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. xx, Children that, unwitting why, Lent the gay shout their shrilly cry. 1814 ― Ld. of Isles v. xv, Unwitting from what source it came. 1866 Sala Barbary 229 Quite unwitting that he is to be made king over Israel. |
† 2. In absolute constructions. (Also with
of.)
| a 1300 Cursor M. 12525 Iesus still him efter stal, Ioseph and mari vnwittand. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 56 Petir..wolde haue lettid cristis deþ.., him wnwyttyngge. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. T. 767 (Ellesm. MS.), He slyly tooke it out.., Vnwityng this preest of his false craft. c 1400 Brut 325 Þe Englissh men..drenchyng al þe men þat were þerin, vnwytyng hem þat þey weren of þat cuntre. c 1455 Pecock Folewer 134 Whilis y kepe þe contraries of þo deedis so priueli to me, hem it vnwityng. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 227 Unwittand his ost, he passis fra his company in the woddis. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems ix. 138, I schryve me of all cursit cumpany, All tymes both witting and vnwitting me. 1586 Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 130/1 Others of Mounster, who before (and vnwitting the Butlers) had [etc.]. 1598 Stow Survey 323 The Lord Gray of Ruthen,..vnwitting the Sergeantes and against their willes (as they said), was first placed. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. ii. (1623) 189 Which things,..the Captaine unwitting thereof, I clapt up closely within my trunks. |
† 3. Without the knowledge
of (also with possessive
adjs.), unbeknown
to, a person.
Obs.| (a) a 1300 Cursor M. 3874 Bisid lya al night he lai, His vn⁓witand, til it was dai. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxix. (Placidas) 534 Nere-by, his vnwittand, his sonnis twa ware duelland. 1454 Paston Lett. I. 287 My wif delyvered all, myn un⁓wetyng. 1470 Ibid. II. 412 He sente to my Lady.., my onwetyng, or wythout eny preyer of me. 1513 Douglas æneid iv. vi. 51 With dissimulance wenyt thow, wnfaithfull wycht, Thow mycht.., myne vnwitting, steill furth of my land? |
| (b) 1340 Ayenb. 37 [To] nyme..oþre manne þinges wyþ wrong and onwytinde and wyþ-oute wylle of þe lhorde. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 228 Vnwityng of this Dorigen at al This lusty Squier..Hadde loued hire. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) I. 531 That samin nycht..[Donald] Come on the king..With greit power wnwitanad of this king. Ibid. III. 23 Tha dressit thame till go Towart his oist.., Onwittand than of ony Scottis wicht. |
| (c) 1386 Rolls of Parlt. III. 226/1 Alle suche wronges hav ben unwytyng to us. 1531 Elyot Gov. iii. vi, A gentilman,..unwyttynge to any persone, dyd cut of his owne eares. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 17 The othe that he made un to the kynge of Ynglonde unwyttynge unto the pope. 1630 R. N[orton] tr. Camden's Hist. Eliz. i. 135 The two Earles.., vnwitting to the rest, presently withdrew themselues. 1633 B. Jonson Tale Tub iv. i, Ile marry her to you, Vnwitting to this Turfe. |
4. Performed unwittingly; unintentional; unpremeditated.
| 1818 Bentham Ch. Eng. Introd. 248 Authors of the un⁓witting and unwilling transgression. 1856 Miss Mulock J. Halifax xxxvii, The unwitting indication of some crotchets of mine. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. xviii. IV. 268 Whether this sacrilege was designed or unwitting, it was speedily avenged. |
b. Unconscious.
| 1840 Lowell Irene 21 Her large charity (An all unwitting, childlike gift in her). |
5. Path. (See
quot.)
| 1822–7 Good Study Med. (1829) I. 159 Pica..Insulsa, Un⁓witting pica. [So called] from want of correct taste or discrimination. |