▪ I. † ˈmanswear, n. Obs.
In 1 mánswara, -swora, 3 manswore, monsware.
[OE. mánswara = ON. meinsvare wk. masc.; related to next.]
A perjurer.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 61 Myrþran, & manswaran. c 1205 Lay. 4149 Ne mai neuere mon sware mon-scipe longe aȝen. c 1275 Ibid. 22139 Bote he were so vuel bi-ȝete Þat he were louerd-swike oþer to his louerd man-swore. |
▪ II. manswear, v. Obs. exc. arch. and dial.
(ˈmænswɛə(r))
Pa. tense -swore, pa. pple. -sworn. In 1 mánswerian, 5 manesuere, 5–6 mensweare, 6 manesweir, mansweare, -swere, mannsuere, mensuer, -suir, -sweir, 9 mainswear.
[OE. mánswęrian (pa. tense -swór, pa. pple. -sworen), f. mán man n.2 + swęrian to swear. Cf. manath.]
1. intr. To swear falsely.
| 1{ddd} Eccl. Inst. c. 21 in Thorpe Laws II. 416 Ne sweriᵹe he þylæs þe he man-sweriᵹe. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 843 The man mensueris he saw sic thing. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Mainswear, to swear falsely. |
2. refl. To perjure oneself.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvi. (Nycholas) 839 Þe quhilk, fra he mansuorn hym had, tuk his staf & mad na bad. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 248 What wit war it..that he suld brek his lautee to manesuere him for company. 1535 Coverdale Wisd. xiv. 28 Either they..prophecie lyes, or lyue vngodly, or els lightly mansweare them selues. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. ii. 5 Willfullie yai man yame selves mensuir. a 1622 J. Welch in Burton Scot Abr. (1864) I. v. 286 He caused to take out of the grave the carcass of Formosus, who had mansworn himself. c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. V. 259, I made it clear..that Major Creighton and Mr. John Hay had both man-sworn themselves. |
† 3. trans. To swear falsely by (a god). Obs.
| 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. (1822) 237 The pepil war nocht sa necligent in thay dayis as thay ar now to manswere thare Goddis, or to fals thare wourdis. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 74 Than man I outher reif or steill, Or than my Goddis name manesweir. |
¶ 4. To renounce on oath, forswear. Obs.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxvii. 90 Thir new maid knychtis lay bayth in swoun, And did all armes mensweir. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ix. 231 Normond Gourlai confirmet that al heresie he had mensworne afor ony man. |