1598. Florio, Inesperientia, inexperience, vnskilfulnes, vnacquaintance.
1627. Bp. Hall, Gt. Impostor, 507. Of this vnacquaintance, secondly, arises a dangerous mesprison of a mans selfe.
1659. T. Pecke, Parnassi Puerp., 49. Therefore how many, and how Qualifi’d; By unacquaintance, could not be descry’d.
1786. A. Gib, Sacr. Contempl., 381. There will be no unacquaintance among the individuals of the redeemed in heaven.
1882. Ld. Acton, in Life & Lett. Bp. Creighton (1904), I. 229. I shall be very glad if I may consider the stage of unacquaintance as gone by.
b. Freq. const. with.
1646. R. Baillie, Anabaptism (1647), 49. Through unacquaintance with the minde of the most.
1676. Glanvill, Ess., VI. 28. I scorn the ordinary Tales of Prodigies, which proceed from superstitious Fears, and unacquaintance with Nature.
1716–20. Lett. fr. Mist’s Jrnl. (1722), I. 300. Our as yet utter Unacquaintance with the real Folly and Vanity there is in every thing.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., VII. (1778), II. 319. The Peruvians, from their unacquaintance with the use of arches,… could not construct bridges either of stone or timber.
1814. Scott, Wav., xxxi. Your … unacquaintance with the manners of the Highlands.
1895. Hunter, Old Missionary, iv. 106. Their unacquaintance with English made it difficult for them to master the … new Penal … Codes.
