unking
English edit
Etymology edit
Verb edit
unking (third-person singular simple present unkings, present participle unkinging, simple past and past participle unkinged)
- (archaic) To remove (a king) from power.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene 1]:
- God save King Harry, unking’d Richard says,
And send him many years of sunshine days!
- 1649, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates: […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], published 1649 (2nd printing), →OCLC, page 28:
- […] the Scots were a free Nation, made King whom they freely chose, and with the same freedome un-Kingd him if they saw cause, by right of ancient laws and Ceremonies yet remaining,
- 1754, Arthur Murphy, The Gray’s-Inn Journal, No. 66, 19 January, 1754, in Volume 2, London: P. Vaillant, 1756, p. 85,[1]
- The jesting of his Fool wholly turns upon his unkinging himself and retaining nothing, which Lear minutely attends to,
- 1850, Herman Melville, chapter 56, in White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, publishers; London: Richard Bentley, published 1855, →OCLC:
- “Yes,” cried Jonathan; “that greenhorn, standing there by the Commodore, is sailing under false colours; he's an impostor, I say; he wears my crown.”
“ […] I say, Jonathan, my lad, don’t pipe your eye now about the loss of your crown; for, look you, we all wear crowns, from our cradles to our graves, and though in double-darbies in the brig, the Commodore himself can’t unking us.”
- (archaic) To deprive (a king) of his royal qualities.
- 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC, [https:// page 371]:
- But if a Prince shall deign to be familiar and to converse with those upon whom he might trample, shall His condescension therefore Unking Him? And His familiarity rob Him of His Royalty?
- 1677, Charles Davenant, Circe, London: Richard Tonson, Act III, Scene 6, p. 31,[2]
- My swelling rage, in privacy I’le shrowd,
- And not un-King my self before the Crowd.
- 1845, James Russell Lowell, Conversations on Some of the Old Poets[3], Cambridge: MA: John Owen, Third Conversation, page 215:
- The soul is indifferent what garment she wears, or of what color and texture; the true king is not unkinged by being discrowned.
- (archaic, figuratively) To remove (something) from a position of power or paramount importance.
- 1638, John Suckling, Aglaura[4], London: Thomas Walkley, act I, scene 1, page 9:
- —Oh ’tis well y’are come,
there was within me fresh Rebellion,
and reason was almost unking’d agen.