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unmannerly

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unmannerly¹

  • /ʌnˈmænəli/ UK
  • /ˌʌnˈmænɚli/ US
  • /ˌən-/ US

Where it comes from

From Middle English unmanerli (“of a person: disorderly, unruly; of conduct: inappropriate, improper”), from un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + manerli, manerly (“well-mannered; modest; customary; moral”). Manerli is derived from maner (“kind, sort; form, nature; circumstances; method, manner; outward behaviour, manners; morals; custom, usage; cause, reason”) (from Anglo-Norman, Old French manere (“fashion, manner, way”), from Latin manuārius (“of or pertaining to the hand”), from manus (“hand”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon”)) + -li (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as un- + mannerly, and is cognate with Danish umanerlig, German unmanierlich, Middle Dutch onmanierlijc (modern Dutch onmanierlijk), Swedish omanerlig, West Frisian ûnmanearlik.

adjective more unmannerly · unmannerlier · most unmannerly · unmannerliest

  1. also, figuratively Not mannerly (“polite; having good manners”). [T]he Dogge nuſling his noſe vnder the necke of the Deare, the Wolfe glad to let the Lambe lye vpon hym to kéepe him warme, the Lyon ſuffering the Aſſe to caſt hys legge ouer him: preferring one honeſt vnmannerly friende, before a number of croutching picke-thankes.

    Similar: discourteous, impolite, rude, uncivil, aweless, improper, bad-mannered, barbaric, bold, bumptious, crude, churlish · Opposite: mannerly, civil, gracious, civilized, complaisant, correct, courteous, cultivated, fair-mannered, genteel, polished, polite

unmannerly²

  • /ʌnˈmænəli/ UK
  • /ˌʌnˈmænɚli/ US
  • /ˌən-/ US

Where it comes from

From Middle English unmanerli (“discourteously, rudely; excessively, unrestrainedly”) [and other forms], from un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + manerli, manerly (“with good manners, courteously; in accordance with custom or propriety, appropriately, becomingly, properly; respectfully”). Manerli is derived from maner (“kind, sort; form, nature; circumstances; method, manner; outward behaviour, manners; morals; custom, usage; cause, reason”) (see further at etymology 1) + -li (suffix forming adverbs). The English word is analysable as un- + mannerly, and is cognate with Middle Dutch onmanierlike (modern Dutch onmanierlijk).

adverb more unmannerly · most unmannerly

  1. archaic In a way that is not mannerly; discourteously, rudely. [T]here the Murtherers, / Steep’d in the Colours of their Trade; their Daggers / Vnmannerly breech'd with gore: [...]

    Similar: impolitely, uncivilly

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MLA

"unmannerly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/unmannerly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

unmannerly. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/unmannerly

Chicago

"unmannerly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/unmannerly.

BibTeX
@misc{unmannerly_2026,
  title = {unmannerly},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/unmannerly},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}