Middle English Dictionary Entry
sufferāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | sufferāble adj. Also sufferabille, suffreable, suffrable, suffirable, suffurable, souffrable & (?errors by hypercorrection) subferabyll(e; pl. sufferablis. |
| Etymology | OF souffrable, (chiefly AF) suff(e)rable, AF suffreable (vars. of sofrable) & AL sufferābilis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Able to be endured, endurable, bearable, tolerable; (b) allowable, permissible, worthy of being permitted or tolerated; but in cas ~ (case sufferablis), except in permissible case(s.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.10.15 : It shall be more suffreable [WB(2): suffrable; L Tolerabilius] to the lond of men of Sodom and Gomor in the day of iugement than to that citee.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)139 : If thei feldeden aloone, more suffrable peyne of helle shulde tormente him.
- c1410 St.Anselm Medit.(UC 97)444 : Withoute comparisun moore suffrable is a roten hound to men þan is a synful soule to god; and muche moore wlatsum is such a soule to god þan is such an hound to men.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)483 : Suffyrabyl [Win: Suffyrable]: Tollerabilis..suffera[bi]lis.
- a1450 12 PTrib.(3) (Bod 423)90/16 : Pleyne the not though thou be smyte on the syde, wherby thou be deliuered of fleshlyche loue, for suffrable is the strook that out of prison delyuereth.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.18 : Yif ȝe..wiþ youre daliaunce Had from me drawe sum foole vnprofitable, Ful lesse it wolde haue done me displesaunce; I myght haue sustened þat as sufferable.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)123a : Subferabyll [Monson: Subferabylle]: tollerabilis.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)106.29 : The persecuciouns he tempird and made thaim suffrabil.
- a1500 Rolle Mend.L.(Wor F.172)53 : More suffrable to the it shuld seeme to the to renne in to the mervelous and bitter torment than oones to synne dedly.
b
- (1348) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.3 : Also that non persone..wirk ne bere suche maner vessel of peauter in þe Cite to sel..it..afore the mater be assaid, oppon perile of forfarture of the marchandice; if the mater be suffrable be the assias of the wardenis, that merchandice to be solde for suche as it is and non othir wise.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)2.32.108b : Þis maner siȝt is suffrable to symple soules þat kunne no better seke him þat is vnseable.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)75 : Sum supprise wiþ seruil chargis our religioun þat..Crist wold to be fre, in so wast halowing of sacramentis, so þat þe condicoun of Jewis is more suffurable þat is sogetid not to mannis tradicoun but to Goddis ordinaunce.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.110 : Manye wurshepys þat longgedyn..only to God been now vsyd in þe wurshepyngge of synful man and womman; And þow ȝyf it be doon to man or womman for þe wurshepe of God..it is sufferable.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)103/32 : Þat þe subgitz pleyne hem noght in þat, þat he mowe auaille, But in cas sufferable.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)101/22 : Ȝif þe Abbesse take vppon here ageynes oure comaundement for to goo owte of þe forseyde closure or geue licence to any of þe Sustris..The same Abbesse schal be remewid of here gouernaunce, & þe Sustris bi þe maner goynge owte of þe closure, but in case sufferablis, schullyn be made onables to alle offices of þe ordre.
2.
(a) Willing to bear or capable of enduring patiently hardship, affliction, etc.; ~ of, willing to submit to (what is right); (b) forbearing, long-suffering; self-restrained, slow to anger, calm; (c) capable of suffering.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.442 : Oon of vs two moste bowen doutelees; And sith a man is moore resonable Than womman is, ye mosten been suffrable; What eyleth yow to grucche thus and grone?
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2934 : The chapitre of a chirche Cathedral, When þei haue chosen hir heed & pastour..Writeþ vnto þe pope in hir fauour..Let vertu þenne þerto yow excite..Of swich writyng, be of right suffrable, And þe man able, swich charge to resseyue, ffor whom ye writte.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)1266 : To ȝow more sote and agreable Shal loue be found..Wiþ-oute grucching þat ȝe were suffrable, So low, so meke, pacientli tendure.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)9927 : Thy body that lyth now blynd & deff..and insensyble, Wych muste wyth the be penyble, Sustene also, & be suffrable.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)103a/a : Þanne þe wounde schal be first waischen wiþ white vinegre if þat þe pacient be wel sufferable.
- a1605(c1422) Hoccl.Compl.(Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)354 : Thowghe grevows be manns temptacion, It sleythe man not; to them that ben sufferable, and to whom gods stroke is acceptable, purveyed Ioye is.
b
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)8641 : Relygyous are to wyte, Þat for maystry wyl smyte; Þey ogh to be suffrable and meke And no foly on ouþer men seke.
- (c1422) Hoccl.Dial.(Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)369 : Yit, Thomas, herkne a word, and be souffrable, And take nat my speeche in displesance; In me shalt thow fynde no variance.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16513 : We wolde no mercy when tyme was; Now schewest vs wraþe for þat trespas..We preye þe, Lord, to be suffrable, & turne oure sorewe to ioye stable.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)4423 : Thogh he to venge hym tarie & be suffrable, Whan his strook cometh, it is importable.
c
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)52 : His tender flesch was kutte with a scharpe stonen knyf, and so that ȝong child Jesu kyndeliche wepte..for..he hadde verray flesche and kyndely sufferable as haue othere children.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)36 : Of þe meruelous tokens of his werkes and of þe experience of his suffrable nature he scheude to vs þat he was bothe verray god & man.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)123a : Sufferabyll [Monson: Sufferabylle]: passibilis.