1. Not civilized; barbarous; unrefined: † a. Of persons. Obs.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, IV. 35. The Bactrians be the most hardiest people amongst these nations, uncivill men.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 3. He sitting found in secret shade, An vncouth, saluage, and vnciuile wight.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 336. Among all men that professe Christ, there is not a more uncivill creature than the Calabrian.
1644. [H. Parker], Jus Populi, 42. No creature is now so uncivill or untame as Man.
b. Of actions, places, times, etc.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, v. 86. This nacion for al their vncyuill and rude maner, could not escape to be subdued with the same force of fortune yt others were.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 633/1. I thought this manner of lewd crying and howling not impertinent to be noted as uncivill and Scythian-like.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 113. They of Goa also eat their pottage with their hands, mocking at the use of spoons as if they were uncivil.
1663. Davenant, Siege of Rhodes, II. i. Their gladness is but an uncivil Noise.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., Wks. V. 88. Men cannot enjoy the rights of an uncivil and of a civil state together.
& 1890. Charity Organis. Rev., Jan., 5. So is their project of feeding a barbarous and uncivil method in civic administration.
† 2. a. Undeveloped, rude, primitive. Obs.
1572. Twyne, Dionysius’ Surv. World, E vij b. These inhabite a very wilde, and vnciuile countrey, the mould beeing very sandy, and not meete for anye tillage.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 433. Bad and unciuill Husbandry in Ireland.
† b. Irresponsive to culture. Obs.
1675. Evelyn, Terra (1676), 69. That Soil may be so strangely alter’d … as to render the harsh and most uncivil Clay obsequious to the Husbandman.
1733. Tull, Horse-hoeing Husb., 50, note. I take harsh uncivil Clay to be the least Profitable of any to keep in Tillage.
3. Not civil or courteous, impolite; rough, rude, lacking in manners: a. Of actions, etc.
1591. Shaks., Two Gentl., V. iv. 60. Ruffian: let goe that rude vnciuill touch, Thou friend of an ill fashion.
1596. Edward III., II. ii. 60. Now we thinke it an vnciuill thing, To trouble heauen with such harsh resounds.
1613. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iv. 439. [They] Bad me begone; and then (in terms uncivil) Did call me counterfait, witch, hag, whore, divell.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 25. The which rugged, preposterous and uncivil answer, caused me presently to believe him to be whom I found him at the last.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Acts xv. 12. The proud Magisterial Talkers … stop and silence him by rude uncivil interruption, on pretence that he is too long.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, VII. xi. I’m not going to offer any thing uncivil.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xiii. Having found himself aggrieved by the uncivil behaviour of … Francis Tyrrel.
1878. Browning, Poets Croisic, xciv. You’ve learnt your lesson … By this uncivil answer of La Roque.
Comb. 1600. Nashe, Summers Last Will, iv. Presumptuous Ver, vnciuill-nurturde boy, Think’st I will be derided thus of thee?
b. Of persons.
1611. Cotgr., Manduict,… ill brought up, vnciuile, rude.
1619. Beaum. & Fl., Knight of Malta, V. i. Hard-hearted, and uncivil Oriana.
1663. Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xxxv. He was forced to be more uncivil to her than otherwise he should have been.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, I. viii. He was a very uncivil fellow to use such coarse language before People of Condition.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 16, ¶ 7. His riches neither made him uncivil nor negligent.
1845. G. P. R. James, Arrah Neil, III. ii. We do not intend to be uncivil to you.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, II. v. 87. He was not absolutely uncivil to his cousin.
4. Not decent or seemly; indecorous.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. 172. No effeminate or loose maners, no clownish or uncivill fashions are scene in him.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xxvii. (1614), 53/1. Her faire haire … so covered her nakednes, that no part of her body was uncivil to sight.
1682. Bunyan, Holy War (1905), 377. His two servants … catcht them together in uncivil manner more than once.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 1010. That he should … vex th’ Etherial Pow’rs With midnight Mattins at uncivil Hours.
5. Not in accordance with civic unity; contrary to civil well-being.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem. (1612), 277. So that great trouble and vnciuill warres were growne vp … in euerie corner of the realme.
1620. J. Taylor (Water P.), Jack a Lent, B ij b. They run starke mad, assembling in routs and throngs numberlesse of ungouerned numbers, with vnciuill ciuill commotions.
1642–4. Vicars, God in Mount (1844), 29. Our home-bred and inbred distractions and uncivill-civill warres.
1647. N. Ward, Simple Cobler, 2. Civill Commotions make roome for uncivill practises.
1871. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, lxvii. 13. Comes to the light some mischief, a deed uncivil arising.
† 6. Not civilian. Obs.–1
1590. Swinburne, Testaments, 67. To be decided and ruled by the dead stroke of vnciuill and martial cannons, rather then by anie rule of the ciuill or cannon lawe.
