a. [OE. unwittiʓ (UN-1 7), unʓewittiʓ, = OHG. unwissîg, -îk (MHG. unwitzic), MSw. ovitugher, Norw. uvitug, Da. uvittig. Cf. WANWITTY a.]
1. Lacking or deficient in wit, intelligence, or knowledge; ignorant, unwise, witless. Now rare.
c. 1000. Ælfric, in Assmann, Ags. Hom., 29. ʓe weras, ʓe wif, and ða unwittiʓan cild.
c. 1205. Lay., 786. Þat nan ne beo so wilde, nan swa unwitti Þat word talie.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 511. Wymmen vnwytte þat wale ne couþe Þat on hande fro þat oþer.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xvi. 20. In alle these thingus mys felende, or vnwittie, is the herte.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, xliii. 410. Wel mown they for folis itold be, and vnwitty & madde.
c. 1490. Caxton, Rule St. Benet, 120. A token of an vnwytty mynde.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., B ij. A Cyrurgyen … oughte nat to be a foole, vnwytty, nor of rude vnderstandynge.
1584. Hudson, Du Bartas’ Judith, IV. (1608), 60. [Lot’s] wife, that was vnwittie, Cast back her eye.
1617. Bp. Hall, Quo Vadis, § 10. I know not wherein Lewis the Eleuenth shewed himselfe vnwitty, but [etc.].
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., V. 239. One of her waiting Maids; a Maid … not unhansom nor unwitty; who [etc.].
1859. Tennyson, Merlin & V., 344. These unwitty wandering wits of mine.
absol. c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 532. Wel deð se ðe unwittiʓum styrð mid swinglum, ʓif [etc.].
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 25. Wiþ him al þe world schal fiȝt aȝen þe vnwitti.
† b. Unexperienced in something. Obs. rare.
1594. Daniel, Cleopatra, 167. Inur’d to warres, in womens wiles vnwitty,… thou fell’st to loue in earnest.
† 2. Of actions, etc.; Characterized by lack or absence of knowledge; senseless, foolish. Obs.
a. 1200. St. Marher., 6. Stute nu and stew þine unwitti wordes.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, 54. Qwhilst þou herys of þe wisyst man vnwittiest dede.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. xliii., in Ashm. (1652), 158. Therfore ther Warkes provyth unwytty.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 77. I maruell at his vnwitty doyng and rashe enterprise.
1550. Acts Privy Counc., III. 73. Those unwitty and superstitiouse vowes.
1587. M. Grove, Pelops & Hipp. (1878), 130. Of vnwittie spending.
3. Not witty or facetious.
1637. Heylin, Antid. Lincoln., i. 1. It was an old, but not unwitty application of the Lo: Keeper Lincolns,… that [etc.].
a. 1763. Shenstone, Levities, Simile, 23. He … Pours forth unwitty jokes, and swears, And bawls.
1849. Froude, Nemesis of Fate, ix. 60. He was acute, not unwitty, and with a savoir faire about him.
1871. W. Alexander, Johnny Gibb, xviii. A mannie says to me, ‘…Paul hed naething adee wi’ sic plantin’;… ’t wusna that oonwutty o’ the carlie.
