adv. In later use chiefly. Sc. Forms: 4–6 wrangwis-, 4–5 -wys-, 5– wrongously, etc. (see WRONGOUS a.); also 4–7 -lie, 4 -li; 5–6 -le. [f. prec. + -LY2.]
1. In a wrongful, unjust or evil manner; wrongfully, unfairly, inequitably.
In very freq. (esp. Sc.) use from c. 1425 to c. 1650.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 32. It schawed … That I led mi lif wrangwislie.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter ix. 12. [People] wrangwisly slane or harmed.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS., 13. Noghte anely he þat wrangwysely getes, bot he þat wrangwysly haldes.
14[?]. Guy Warw., 6500 (Camb. MS.). Þou doyst vncurteslye For to smyte me wrongeuslye.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 48. To pray for me, at I be nott wrongoslie putt to dead.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., vii. 58. If thou swere wrongwosly,… Thou art worthi grete blame.
1468. in Surtees Misc. (1890), 19. Ye tennauntes … have wrangwisly halden & occupies xviij poules feet of ye grounde.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, IV. xx. (S.T.S.), II. 123. For þe said law put þe faderis fra þe public landis quhilkis þai wrangwislie possedit.
1535. Coverdale, Job xxxiv. 12. God condemneth no man wrongeously.
a. 1615. Brieue Cron. Erlis Ross (1850), 17. He was sinistruously and wrongously put out of the Abbay.
1680. Alison, in Thomson, Cloud of Witnesses (1871), 62. They have … assized and sentenced me wrongously.
1756. Byng, in Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem. (1790), II. 81. The injury done to our characters … which … [have] been most injuriously and wrongously attacked.
1833. Chalmers, Const. Man (1834), I. vi. 242. If one [child] … on returning … shall find the chair in the possession of another occupier … it has the sense of being wrongously dispossessed.
1862. Chambers’s Encycl., III. 462. Where a free man is wrongously captured or detained.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, 340. She … slapped the schoolmaster for bating me wrongously.
2. Without good ground or justification; for no sufficient cause or reason; undeservedly.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27695. If þou … ever thoro envie Has ani man wreid wrangwisly.
c. 1350. Relig. Lyrics 14th C. (1924), 94. My well of my wele sa wrangwysly wryed.
a. 1400. Gosp. Nicodemus (G.), 204. Ȝe wrigh [v.r. blame] him wrangwisly.
1483. in Acta Dom. Conc., II. Introd. 103. The malis of the landis … excepand xli. … quhilk it is allegit … that he is wrangwisly chargit with.
1563. Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 53. Paull at that tyme wes … maist wranguslie persuadit, that all that he did wes … pleasand to God.
1574. in Maitl. Club Misc., I. 102. David … declarit that … the kirk wes wranguslie and sinesterlye informit of him.
1639. Large Declar. Late Tumults Scotl., 377. Wherein … wee are heavily and wrongously blamed and taxed of many great offences.
1828. E. Irving, Last Days, 323. To endure reproof wrongously, for Christ’s sake.
1885. Burton, Arab. Nts. (abr. ed.), III. 115. Let these folk go, for they are wrongously accused.
† b. Without due title, claim or warrant.
14[?]. in Anglia, VIII. 164. Hee wrangusly toke to hym þe name of an hirde-man.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 23. Ane othir callit Damas was put in the sege wrangwisly.
† 3. Incorrectly; = WRONGLY adv. 1 b. Obs.
1597. Skene, De Verb. Sign., Bovata Terræ,… quhilk in sum buikes, is wrangeouslie writtin, Davata terræ.
1732. Monro, Anat. Bones (ed. 2), 191. A small Cavity … where the Recti interni minores, commonly (tho’ wrongously) ascribed to Cowper, take their Rise.
1740. in Heslop, Northumbld. Wds. (1894), 799. Pay’d by … one of ye late stewards, his fourth part of ye money—wrongously given to Ralph Smith.
