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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MISLEAR, v., n. Also misleer; mislair. [mɪs′li:r, -′le:r]

I. v. 1. To misinform, misguide; to lead astray. Vbl.n. mislearin, a mistake, error.Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms xix. 12:
Wha weel can weet folk's ain mislearins.
Abd. 1881 W. Philip K. MacIntosh's Scholars vii.:
I'm greatly misleared if he bena playin' the villain.
Lnk. 1890 J. Coghill Poems 141:
To gar him act the patriot's pairt, An' no to be by gowks mislear't.

2. To hurt, do harm or damage to, maltreat. The meaning in 1787 quot. is disputed.Ayr. 1787 Burns Death & Dr Hornbook ix.:
“Gudeman,” quo' he, “put up your whittle, I'm no design'd to try its mettle; But if I did, I wad be kittle To be mislear'd.”
Abd. 1832 A. Beattie Poems 150:
And frae the eaves hangs winter's beard, And mouly bairns are sair misleard.
Edb. 1979 Albert D. Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 44:
Gin damp could sae mislear the wits o Rousseau,
What micht this partan's tae that's yokit in
My moniplyes no dae to my ingyne?

3. Ppl.adj. misleared, -t, -leer(e)d, -t, -laird, -laert, (1) misinformed, mistaken, misguided; erroneous (Cai., Per. 1963); (2) badly brought up, unmannerly, rude, oafish, perverse, mischievous, harmful (Ayr. 1787 Burns Poems Gl.; Ork., Ags., Per. 1963). Hence misleeredness, mischievousness; (3) excessively selfish, greedy, avaricious, gluttonous (Ags. 1910; Fif. 1919 T.S.D.C.; Abd. 1963); (4) recklessly extravagant, spendthrift, appar. due to a misunderstanding of (3).(1) Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck x.:
I think it [i.e. a song] rins this gate — hum! but then the dialogue comes in, and it is sae kamshachle I canna word it, though I canna say it's misleared either.
Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lx.:
I fancy that his contrariness is altogether of some misleart crancum about your caring nothing for him.
e.Lth. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 265:
Lord, Reverend Sir, for a divine, Thou'rt cheap mislear'd.
Sc. 1928 T. T. Alexander Psalms xix. 5:
God's law's thro'gaen, awaukenin' The saul mislear'd wi' vice.
(2) Edb. 1720 A. Pennecuik Helicon 81:
Mislear'd Fallow, the meikle D—l speed him.
Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 163:
Her Nanesel maun be carefu' now, Nor maun she be misleard.
Abd. 1777 R. Forbes Ulysses 31:
Then to blame me Is futie an' mislear'd.
Uls. 1804 J. Orr Poems (1936) 138:
An' ay whan callens grew mislear't, The arm o' flesh boost settle Th' affray, that day.
Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxxix.:
Ye are but a mislear'd person to speer for her in sic a manner.
Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail iv.:
Surely neither you nor that unreverent and misleart tumphy your wife, our Meg, would refuse to be present at the occasion?
Gall. 1835 Fraser's Mag. (July) 17:
I hae some hopes o' the callant yet, although he has been misleert wi' puir weel-far'd Mally Ballantyne.
Rxb. 1871 H. S. Riddell Poet. Wks. I. 238:
But they wha here are sae misleard, I fear to heaven will never won.
Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 142:
Mae eldest, Jock — he's teended noo, T'o' he wus aence mislair'd.
e.Lth. 1884 P. McNeill Tranent 240:
Geordie said nothing, but determined to play a trick on Kennie for his "misleeredness".
Lnk. 1889 Glasgow Herald (23 Dec.):
Auld maid's bairns are never misleared.
Kcb. 1911 Crockett Rose of the Wilderness xii.:
What's the maitter, Miss Rose? Hev they said onything misleared to ye, that ye look like that?
Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 64:
Why sud they daunton a lassie like me? An' say a' I dae is misleart an' unchancy.
(3) Sc. 1832 A. Henderson Proverbs 30:
The deil's greedy, but you're mislear'd.
Lnk. 1890 H. Muir Reminisc. 18:
He had been sent here by misleer't greedy Edward To capture sic strongholds as we than possess't.
Fif. 1946 J. C. Forgan Maistly 'Muchty 14:
He kens the reputation noo that he maun aye safegaird, An' lead to even greater things o' fame we're a' mislaird.
(4) Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 20:
Mr. Strappem was careful on this occasion no' to be owre misleard wi ' the powther, an', after loadin' the gun, oot he cam.
Ags. 1896 Barrie Sentimental Tommy iii.:
Rich folk like us can afford to be mislaird.

II. n. A bad upbringing; misguided or wicked behaviour, mischief, perversity.Cai. 1776 Weekly Mag. (25 Jan.) 146:
But ablins Britain will, like mony mair, Wink till her bairn is ruin'd wi' mislear.
Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 126:
Fae them he learns the guilty roun' O' a' mislear.

[O.Sc. misleirit, unmannerly, from 1560, O.E. mislǣran, to misteach, misguide. mis- + Lear, and Lair, n.2 See notes s.vv.]

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"Mislear v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/mislear>

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