A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1513-1614, 1669
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Unwar, adj. Also: unwarre, -wer, wnwar, onwar, unwarry, -ie. [ME and e.m.E. unware (c1200), vnwar (Layamon), unwarre (Ancr. R.), vnwary (1579), vnwarie (1590); War(e adj.]
1. Unwary, incautious, unsuspicious; not on one's guard against (with, of) (an enemy, potential danger, etc.).(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xi 202.
Thir twa sik talis now tellis thé For that thu suld mar vnwar be Vith thi fais 1562-3 Winȝet II 64/28.
First thai smeir oure thair [bairnis] mowthes with hwny, that the wnwar aige quhen it taistis afoir the suetnes suld nocht feir the bittirnes 1562-3 Winȝet II 67/34.
With thai promissis … the hæretikis accustomis to dissaue the vnwar and incircumspect men c1590 Fowler I 67/20.
Yf now I be by lowe ourcum … Young, rekles … vnwar [It. incauto] of all my harmes? c1614 Mure Dido & Æneas i 861.
In Ascanius' shape He [sc. Cupid] may (vnwarre) the princes [sc. Dido] vndermyne, And craftily her liberty entrape(b) 1669 Jus Populi 1.
To use his out-most endeavour to deceive his unwarry and inadvertant reader
2. Unaware, ignorant (of something).(a) 1533 Bell. Livy I 161/16.
He, nocht vnwar of his cummyng, met him(b) 1600-1610 Melvill 9.
This I wryt nocht to impear the praise of guid men in the paroche … bot to repress the unwarrie ingratitud of sum that considders nocht the bountifull guidnes of God
3. Quasi-adv. Without knowing it, unawares.(a) 1513 Doug. ii vii 33 (Sm.).
Astonit with the wourde abak he dreucht, As quhai wnwar [C. onwar, Ruddim. vnwar] tred on ane ruth serpent c1614 Mure Dido & Æneas i 963.
Her self vnwar thus doth her self betray(b) 1513 Doug. i xi 47.
Sumtyme onwar [Ruddim. vnwar; L. inscia] hym in hir bosum held sche 1513 Doug. iv viii 15.
Les scho onwar [Sm. wnwar, Ruddim. vnwer] … hir deth purvayt 1513 Doug. ix xii 14.
A fuyll he was … Persauyt not Turnus … Quham he onwar within the cite schet
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"Unwar adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/unwar>
