1. Unfaithfulness, treachery; = UNTRUTH 1. (Common c. 1385–c. 1450.)
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1448. He þought ay wel he hadde his lady lorn, And þat Ioues … Hym shewed hadde in sleep þe signyfyaunce Of hire vntroþe. Ibid. (c. 1384), H. Fame, I. 364. But weleaway the harme the routhe That hath betyd for suche vntrouthe.
c. 1425. Eng. Conq. Irel., 8. Bot Robert … for no t[h]ynge wold do thynge wher-of he myght be þerafter i-wyted of wntrowth.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, E viii b, He slewe his broder Amon that suche desloyalte and untrouth had done to his Suster.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxxi. 313. The kyng … pituously complayned hym of ye untrouthe of his men, shewyng howe they had all forsaken him.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 154 b. The capitaines perceyuing their vntrought & trayterous demeanour, retrayted themselves into the Castell or Palaice, where … they sore molested and vexed the vntrew citizens.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XI. 45. Which deed … might rather be imputed to the oresight of light credit, then to any vntroth or infidelity.
b. Wickedness, mischief. rare.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVII. viii. 702. Thenne dyd they grete vntrouthe; they slewe clerkes and preestes.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, I. iv. The euylle hongry peple … by theyr grete vntrouthe and malyce robben … the poure folke.
2. Unbelief; = UNTRUTH 2.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 204. Þe fadir … seide, Sire, Y bileve; helpe myn untrouþe.
a. 1395. Hylton, Scala Perf., II. vi. (Bodl. MS.). Þei schulden streiȝt flee to heuene,… hadde þei do neuer so myche synne bifore in time of her vntrouþe.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 28. Crist … miȝt not do ani vertu þer, for þe vntrouþ.
3. Falsehood; UNTRUTH 3.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 687. This false knyght was slayn for his vntrouthe.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xv. 234. Thei worschipiden God bi ydolatrie, and therfore by vntrouthe.
a. 1592. Greene, Alphonsus, II. ii. If you find my words to be vntroth, Then let me die to recompence the wrong.
b. = UNTRUTH 3 b.
1581. T. Howell, Deuises, I ij. A false vntroth to me the same doth seeme.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Phormio, II. ii. If then I had spoken an vntroath.
1623. Fletcher & Rowley, Maid in Mill, IV. i. There will be a yard of dissimulation At least (City measure) and cut upon an untroth or two.
† 4. A company (of summoners). Obs.–0
1486. Bk. St. Albans, f vi b. An vntrouth of sompneris.
