† lerev.
Obsolete.
1.
a. transitive. To teach; = learn v. 4. In various constructions: To give instruction to (a person); to teach (a person something, or to do something); to give instruction in (a science, art, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
society > education > teaching > [verb (transitive)]
i-taechec888
lerec900
iwisseOE
to teach a personc1000
wisc1000
ylereOE
avayc1315
readc1330
learna1382
informc1384
beteacha1400
form1399
kena1400
redec1400
indoctrinea1450
instructc1449
ensign1474
doctrine1475
introduct1481
lettera1500
endoctrinec1500
to have (a person) in schooling?1553
lesson1555
tutor1592
orthographize1596
pupil1599
con1612
indoctrinate1621
art1628
doctrinate1631
document1648
verse1672
documentizea1734
form1770
intuit1776
skill1809
indoctrinize1861
c900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (1890) iv. iv. 272 He wæs sended Ongolþeode Godes word to bodienne & to læranne.
a1100 Gerefa in Anglia (1886) 9 260 Ac ic lære þæt he do swa ic ær cwæð.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 95 Ȝif þe halia gast ne learð þes monnes heorte.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 18147 Sannt iohan. Bapptisste comm to lærenn. Þe follc to rihhtenn here lif.
a1250 Owl & Nightingale 1053 Þu..lerdest hi to don schome And unriht of hire lichome.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2152 Þeo ælche dæie hine larden luðere craftes.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 1934 Constantin let also In ierusalem cherchen rere & wide aboute elles ware cristendom to lere.
c1320 tr. J. Bonaventura Medit. 13 Y wyl þe lere a medytacyon.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. iv. 162 Hue..lereþ hem to lecherie þat louyeþ here ȝyftes.
a1400 Prymer 97 The wey of thi riȝtwesnesses lere thou me.
c1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 100 Þe kyng thotht to do lere him vpon sciences.
a1420 T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum 1856 Of alle thre þou oghtist be wele leerid.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 426 He is..tauȝt and leerid of an holi man.
c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 33 Prestes schal be dampned for wickidnes of þe peple, if þei lere hem not wan þei are vnkunnand.
c1480 (a1400) St. Theodora 700 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 119 He..þe barne in with hyr tuke to lere.
1486 Bk. St. Albans E j Lystyn to yowre dame and she shall yow lere.
1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid viii. Prol. 145 I sall leir the ane lessoun to leys all thi pane.
1556 W. Lauder Compend. Tractate Dewtie of Kyngis sig. A4v And now geue that ȝe wald be leird To bruke, and to Inioye the eird.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 37 Able to..leir thame to knawe thair dutie.
1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne xii. xl. 221 I did thee leare A lore, repugnant to thy parents faith.
1832 W. Motherwell in Whistle-Binkie 1st Ser. 84 'Twas then we sat on ae laigh bink, To leir ilk ither lear.
b. To show the way to, lead, guide; to lead (the way).
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > guidance in travel > show (the way) [verb (transitive)] > lead back
teachc893
forleadOE
to lead the wayc1175
kenc1200
dressc1330
lerec1330
guy1362
guidec1374
reduce?a1425
tell1485
way lead1485
arrect1530
reconduct1566
reduct1580
c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 400 To wite þe riȝt way Þe styes for to lere.
c1394 P. Pl. Crede 343 Lere me to som man my Crede for to lerne.
c1420 Chron. Vilod. 25 For Hengestes was þe first duke of hem, And into þis lond he dede hem lere.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 1059 Graith gydys can thaim leyr.
2. To inform; = learn v. 5. Const. rarely of; chiefly with noun or clause as second object.
ΚΠ
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 21494 Me war leuer yow for to lere Quar lijs your lauerd rode-tre.
1430–40 J. Lydgate tr. Bochas Fall of Princes Prol. (1554) 7 In which processe, like as I am leared, He [etc.].
c1470 J. Hardyng Chron. lxxiii. xxii [Arthure] also gate, as Chronycles haue vs lered, Denmarke [etc.].
a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 1110 I wott well ye are leryd, My lordys doughter shall be wed To a man off myght.
?a1500 Chester Pl. viii. 122 It is good that we enquyre if any the way can vs leere.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid iii. ii. 156 Apollois ansueir speir, Beseiking him of succouris ws to leir.
a1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary (1651) iv. i. 60 Lere me whylk way he wended.
3. To learn, acquire knowledge of (something); to study, read (a book); to learn to do something. Also with clause as object.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > learning > [verb (transitive)]
learnc900
undernimc1000
lerec1220
knowc1390
apprehenda1398
geta1400
learna1400
to take forth1530
to take out1550
c1220 Bestiary 328 And ȝingid him ðus ðis wilde der So ȝe hauen nu lered her.
c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 796 Y wile with þe gange, For to leren sum god to gete.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 354 Nu wot adam sumdel o wo; Her-after sal he leren mo.
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. xi. 270 Thanne wrouȝte I unwisly with alle the wyt that I lere!
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxix. 132 All þe Iews..lerez for to speke Hebrew.
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 1548 He bade him lere John evangelist.
c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn l. 790 Yf yee lust to lere, Howe they were I-clepid.
1466 Extracts Rec. in W. Chambers Charters Burgh Peebles (1872) 155 Master Jhon Doby swld haiff all the skwll, owttakand thai that leyryt to syng.
c1480 (a1400) St. Thomas Apostle 397 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 140 Wyt is þat gerris þe fynd Ite, þat þu lerit [nocht], & memore syne Is þat þu laris, þu nocht tyne, & vndirstandynge is [etc.].
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 223 Thai..will at na man nurtir leyr.
1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. Pref. Ane scholar quhilk is to leir ony special science.
1567 Compend. Bk. Godly Songs (1897) 87 Leir him to dreid, and traist in till him syne.
1584 King James VI & I Ess. Prentise Poesie sig. Fiij Then ye your self, in teaching men shall leir The rule of liuing well.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 8 Thay haue leiret nocht to defend thair townes wt wallis.
1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne x. xxv. 184 On that sad booke his shame and losse he leared.
1720 A. Ramsay Prol. to ‘Orphan’ line 8 in Poems (ESTC T154560) And lear—O mighty crimes!—to speak and act.
1724 A. Ramsay Some of Contents Ever-green v The sons may leir, How their forbeirs were unacquaint with feir.
1801 H. Macneill Poet. Wks. II. 143 'Twas then my native strains ye lear'd.
4. absol. and intransitive. To acquire knowledge; to be informed; = learn v. 2, 3c Const. of, on, at.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > learning > [verb (intransitive)]
learn971
lerea1300
edify1612
a1300 Cursor Mundi 1832 Þai wald noght lere on noe lare.
c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame ii. 3 And listeneth of my dreme to lere.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19538 Þat he moght of his craftes lere.
14.. Parl. Love 3 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 48 Now ȝee that wull of loue lere, I counsell yow þat ȝe cum nere.
c1425 J. Lydgate Assembly of Gods 887 Lothe to Offende, and Louyng ay to Lere.
c1450 Urbanitatis (Calig. A.ii) in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 13 Who-so wylle of nurtur lere, Herken to me & ȝe shalle here.
c1480 (a1400) St. John Baptist 958 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 250 Of þir barnis herrod send twa to rome, to lere.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vii. l. 671 Lerand at scule in-to thar tendyr age.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 63 Be ȝe so wyis that uderis at ȝow leir.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 6326 in Wks. (1931) I Wald God, said I, ȝe did remane all ȝeir, That I mycht of ȝour heuinlye Lessonis leir.
1562 N. Winȝet Certain Tractates (1888) I. 24 Childer of happy ingynis, mair able to leir than I wes to teche.
1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 13 As the old Cock crows, the young Cock lears.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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