Unware

a., sb., and adv. Now only arch. [OE. unwær (UN-¹ 7, 12, 11 b), = ON. úvarr (MSw. ovar). Cf. UNWARES.]

  1.  Unwary, incautious; not on one’s guard.

c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xv. 89. Oft eac ða unwaran lareowas for eʓe ne durron cleopian.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 61. Þa scinlæcan þa þe galdor-cræftas … begangaþ, & mid þæm unwære men beswicaþ.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., II. 538. ʓif ðu unwær bist, þu bist ðe swiðor ʓeswenct.

c. 1200.  Vices & Virtues, 45. Ðe unware mann ðe ðis ȝeherð, ðingþ ðat he seið him god rad.

c. 1205.  Lay., 7810. Nu þohte Julius Cezar (ah þer he wes to vnwar), he þohte swa forð teon æfter þere Temese.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 274. Hwonne þeo sunnen þet weren ȝare ibet kumeð eft … & sleað þeo unwarre soule.

c. 1307.  Langtoft, Chron. (Rolls), II. 252. For Scottes Tell i for sottes, And wrecches unwar; Unsele Dintes to dele Tham drohu to Dumbar.

1388.  Wyclif, Prov. xxiii. 28. Sche schal sle hem, whiche sche schal se vnwar.

c. 1450.  trans. De Imitatione, III. xliv. 115. If he miȝt bringe hedily þe unware man into þe gnare of deceite. Ibid., l. 121. Fro suche fables & unwar men, lorde, defende me, þat I falle not into her hondes.

1509.  Barclay, Shyp of Folys, 37. Suche ar vnware and gyuen to neglygence,… Makynge no prouysyon for the tyme to come.

1557.  Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 230. Now vaunt thee loue which … wounded hast a wight vnwise, vnweaponed and vnware.

1624.  H. Mason, Art of Lying, ii. 35. Unware men are ouerreached and caught.

  b.  Of actions: Done incautiously.

a. 1395.  Hylton, Scala Perf., II. xviii. (Bodl. MS.), fol. 110. An vnware stiringe of himsilf schulde caste him doun aȝen worse þan he was bifore.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiv. (Bodl. MS.). Þe þrote is ofte igreued … by vnwise and vnwar taking of mete and of drinke.

  2.  Unaware, ignorant. Const. of, that.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, I. 304. Lo he was ful vnwar þat loue hadde his dwellynge with-inne þe subtile stremes of here eyen.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 1183. Vnwar of þe weghes þat by the walles lay,… He busket to þe banke with a bolde chere.

1421–2.  Hoccleve, Complaint, 375. He that it owght agayne it to hym toke, Me of his haste vnware.

1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cvii. 128. We shall entre whyle they be at supper, and vnware of vs.

1563.  Mirr. Mag., A a iij. O hedeles trust, vnware of harme to cum.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 17. So me weake wretch,… vnware of such mishap, She brought to mischiefe.

  ellipt.  c. 1611.  Chapman, Iliad, XVI. 109. Ajax seeing … that he shook a headless spear, a little while unware.

  b.  Quasi-adv. Without knowing it; in ignorance, innocently.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pars. T., 885. Of this brekynge comth eek ofte tyme that folk vnwar wedden or synnen with hire owene kynrede.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 2. Thus bringth he many a meschief inne Unwar, til that he be meschieved.

c. 1450.  Merlin, xxvi. 493. He put vp his goode swerde for doute leste he slough eny man vn-war.

1532.  More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 598/1. After that he … therby made him giue sentence vnware against himselfe. Ibid. (1533), Apol., 191 b. He playn reproueth his owne processe, & excuseth the clergye hym selfe vnware.

c. 1614.  Sir W. Mure, Dido & Æneas, I. 963. Her self, vnwar, thus doth her self betray, And feels the force of this small archer’s bowe.

1671.  Milton, P. R., I. 225. The erring Soul Not wilfully mis-doing, but unware Misled.

  3.  Unexpected, unforeseen.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Boeth., V. met. i. (1868), 151. It haþ hys propre causes of whiche causes þe cours vnforseyn and vnwar semiþ to han maked happe. Ibid. (c. 1386), Man of Law’s T., 427. Vp on thy glade day haue in thy mynde The vnwar wo or harm þat comth bihynde.

c. 1407.  Lydg., Reson & Sens., 6181. They turne nat as doth a phane With vnwar wynde. Ibid. (1430–40), Bochas, VIII. 2192. Hih clymbyng vp haþ ofte an vnwar fall.

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXV. (Percy Soc.), 180. At a tyme unware my dette shal be dewe.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 218 b. Least … the common people hereafter … might … excite an unware rebellion.

  4.  Unknown (to one).

1390.  Gower, Conf., III. 44. Who dar do thing which love ne dar? To love is every lawe unwar.

1529.  More, Dyaloge, II. Wks. 190/2. If there came amonge them vnware to you some spies.

a. 1536.  Wyatt, Wks. (1913), I. 130. If I had suffred this to you unware, myn were the fawte, & you nothing to blame.

  5.  As sb. a. In phr. on, in, or at unware, unawares, unexpectedly.

c. 1070.  O. E. Chron. (MS. C), an. 1066. Þa com Harold cyning … into Tinan on unwaran. Ibid. (c. 1100), (MS. D), an. 1043. Man ʓerædde þan cynge þæt he rad … to Wincestre on unwær.

14[?].  R. Gloucester’s Chron., 1966 (MS. Digby 205). This prince al in vnware toward hem þan drouȝ.

1561.  Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, II. ii. Shall I geue leasure by my fonde delayes To Ferrex to oppresse me at vnware?

  b.  Unwariness, carelessness.

1475.  Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 27. By unware of theire purveiaunce [they] met withe the said Haniballe at certen streightes and narow places.

  6.  adv. a. Without warning; unexpectedly.

c. 1100.  O. E. Chron. (MS. D), an. 1050. Hi comon unwær on heom on ealne ærne merʓen. Ibid., an. 1067.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Frankl. T., 1356. On thee Fortune I pleyne That vnwar wrapped hast me in thy cheyne.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 219. He was bysette … in a harde battaille þat fil uppon hym unwar [L. inopino] in þe Ester day.

1426.  Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 13548. They sawh on komen ffaste by, Vnwar, with a gret company.

1454.  Paston Lett., I. 282. William … and Robert come uppon hem onwarre, and theruppon chasid hem.

c. 1510.  More, Picus, Wks. 26. Death stealeth on full slily and unware.

1591.  Spenser, Virg. Gnat, Ded. 5. If that any Oedipus vnware Shall chaunce … To reade the secrete of this riddle rare.

1613.  W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iv. 498. Seeking the place of Charitie’s resort, Unware I hapned on a Princes Court.

1616.  J. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., VIII. 180. In each quarter, they prepare, to charge the campes sodainlie and vnware.

1875.  Morris, Æneid, VI. 104. No face of any care, O maiden, can arise on me in any wise unware.

  b.  Unwarily, incautiously.

1545.  Taverner, Erasm. Prov., 55. Whiche stones so sone as a man vnware take vp, forth with he receiueth a wound of the scorpion.