(a) To lack knowledge (of sth.), be unaware; also, be ignorant of some circumstance, not be privy to particular information; (b) to lack knowledge of (a fact, the existence or occurrence of sth., etc.), be unaware of, not have been informed about; (c) to lack certainty regarding (a future event, hypothetical situation, etc.), be unable to predict or discern;—freq. with noun clause as obj.; (d) to be hidden, be concealed [2nd quot. could also be construed as p.ppl. in a passive constr. and belong to sense 1b.]; (e) in phrase: ~ no-thing, of God: not to be lacking in any knowledge, know everything.

In passive constructions: ben unknowen;—occas. with substitution of pr.ppl. unknowinge for p.ppl. unknowen and freq. with inversion of the logical subject and the verb: (a) with agent, but with primary emphasis on the subject: to be unknown (to sb.), not be known or known of (by sb.); be a matter of uncertainty (to sb.); also, in negative constructions: ben not unknowen (unknowinge), be well known (to sb.), (sb.) knows (sth., that sth. is so) very well; is unknowen to no man, everyone knows (what sth. is); non of these is unknowen to him, he is fully aware of all of these; no privete is unknowen, (God) knows every secret; (b) in phrase: no-thing…til him unknowen is, nothing is unknown to Him (i.e., God), God knows everything; (c) with omission of agent: to be or remain undiscovered, be hidden or concealed; also, be uncertain, be impossible to know for sure; of a road in fog: be obscured;—occas. used in negative constructions.

Ppls. unknowen and unknowinge, used interchangeably, usu. in modifying constructions: (a) of a person: unaware, oblivious; ignorant of or uninformed as to some circumstance; also, unaware (that sth. is so); ignorant of (what will happen); unknowen (unknowinge) of, not knowing (sth.); also, uncertain of (sth.); (b) of a thing, an event, a situation, etc.: unknown, not known of, not certainly known; also, hidden, unrevealed; of charges: indeterminate; (c) in active absol. adv. phrases: with (sb.) in ignorance, without the awareness of (sb.) that something had occurred, (sb.) being oblivious to the fact that something had occurred, etc.;—occas. with possessive as subject; (d) in passive absol. adv. phrases: (sth.) not having been known (to sb.), it being unknown (to sb. that sth. was the case); (e) as quasi-adv.: in ignorance of some circumstance, unwittingly, unawares; (f) as quasi-adv.: without anyone’s knowledge, in secret, surreptitiously; also, unbeknownst (to sb.), without the knowledge (of sb.).

(a) To be deficient in one’s powers of perception, be obtuse; lack insight or understanding; also, be spiritually obtuse or blind; ben unknowinge of him-self, be without self-knowledge; to him hit was unknowinge of, it was impossible for him to have any understanding of (sth.); (b) ?to be unable to perceive or make out (sth.); (c) to fail or be unable to grasp (sth.) with the intellect, be without comprehension or understanding of; ?also, misunderstand or misapprehend (sth.) [1st quot.].

In passive constructions, with primary emphasis on the subject: ben unknowen, to be unperceived (by sb., a lion); be incomprehensible (to sb.); ?also with omission of agent: be imperceptible [quot. a1398, 2nd].

Ppls. unknowen and unknowinge, used interchangeably, in modifying constructions: (a) of a person: without understanding, lacking in wisdom, simple; also, without acuity, stupid; of nature, natural powers: unperceiving, noncognitive; also, of beasts: uncomprehending; (b) of a process, phenomenon: unknowable by the senses, imperceptible; soverain unknowen, exceeding all knowledge [cp. soverain adj. 4]; (c) as quasi-adv.: ?in the absence of an understanding of (sth.), by uncomprehension of [cp. sense 2a.(c)].

To be ignorant as to the physical characteristics or qualities of (sth.), be unfamiliar with; also, lack systematic knowledge of (the law).

In passive constructions: ben unknowen: (a) with agent but with primary emphasis on the subject: to be beyond the specialized knowledge, expertise, etc. (of sb.), be unfamiliar (to sb.); of material things, places: be unrecognizable (to sb.), not be known by physical features; (b) with omission of agent: to be unfamiliar, unknown, or unexplored; of a medical condition or symptoms: ?go unrecognized, ?remain latent.

Ppls. unknowen and unknowinge, used interchangeably, usu. in modifying constructions: (a) of a person: unversed (in an art or unspecified discipline); (b) of a country, region, etc.: unexplored, uncharted; also, remote, foreign, unfamiliar; of a language: foreign, not known to someone; also, of a medical condition: unidentifiable (by a physician), not known (to a physician); unknowen werkinge, ?unskilled operation, unwisely chosen or performed procedures; (c) as noun: the arms that are not identified as to their owner, those of unknown ownership; unknowen bi more unknowen named is, the name of an unfamiliar thing is equated with that of an even more unfamiliar one.

To lack direct personal experience of (a sensation, phenomenon, etc.), never to have known firsthand; also, lack experience of (sth.) by choice, reject.

In passive constructions: ben unknowen: (a) to be or remain outside the experience (of sb.), not be experienced (by sb.); man is unknowen to me, I have known no man, I am a virgin; (b) with omission of the agent: to be hitherto or not yet known; be without precedent; also, of vices: be excluded from someone’s experience, be driven away.

Ppls. unknowen and unknowinge, in modifying constructions: (a) unknowinge of (to), without experience (of sth.), not possessed of personal knowledge; also, not having experience (of rain), unaccustomed (to rain); unknowen of (to) man, not having been known by any man, virginal; (b) out of ordinary experience, unknown, unaccustomed; also, unprecedented, hitherto unknown.

(a) To lack acquaintance with (God), not know; (b) ppl. unknouen as noun: the unknown, unnamed God.

In passive constructions: ben unknowen;— with primary emphasis on the subject and occas. with substitution of pr.ppl. unknowinge for p.ppl. unknowen: (a) to be unknown or unknowable (by sb.) as to disposition or spiritual state; with omission of agent: be of unknown nature, disposition, character, etc.; (b) to be unrecognized (by sb.) as to identity, be or remain unidentified; with omission of agent: be or remain unidentified; be or remain in obscurity; preserve one’s anonymity;—also used of someone’s name.

Ppl. unknowen in various constructions: (a) unacquainted (with sb.); (b) not known by name, unidentified; unrecognized (by anyone); unfamiliar to someone, not of someone’s acquaintance; also, not known in a particular role [quot. c1468]; (c) not known by reputation, not famous; also, without reputation, ?ignoble; (d) as quasi-adv.: without being recognized, in anonymity or obscurity; gon unknowen; unknowen from men (of alle men), outside the company of men, without intimacy with any other persons; (e) as noun: one whose identity is unknown or concealed, a person or persons not of one’s acquaintance, a stranger;—also coll.; also, a foreigner; also in epithet [quot. a1500(a1400)]; for unknowen, ?as a stranger to someone; (f) in proverbs.

(a) In phrase: ben unknowinge of, to fail or refuse to acknowledge a moral debt for (sth.); lack proper gratitude for (sth.); (b) refuse to confess one’s relationship with God; (c) to fail or refuse to give proper recognition to (sb.); (d) ?to fail to give proper recognition to (words of wisdom), ignore; ?also, ignore (sb. or sth.) by choice, overlook [glossing L ignoscere]; (e) to refuse to acknowledge a relationship with (sb.), disown.

In passive constructions, with primary emphasis on the subject: ben unknowen: (a) to be unacknowledged (by sb.), be accorded insufficient respect; also, with omission of agent: ?be forgotten, be overlooked; (b) to be unaccepted (by God), be disowned; with omission of agent: be unrecognized as having a relationship with someone, be rejected; also, be rejected or not recognized by God [quot. c1449, 2nd occurrence].

Ppls. unknowen and unknowinge, sometimes used interchangeably, in various constructions: (a) lacking in proper recognition of one’s moral duty, debt, etc., ungrateful; (b) as noun: ?persons not acknowledging God, unbelievers.