Middle English Dictionary Entry
suffisaunce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | suffisaunce n. Also suffissaunce, suffisaunse, suffishaunce, sufficaunce, souffisaunce, soffisaunce. |
| Etymology | OF sofisance, soffisance, soufisance, souffissanche, AF suffis(s)aunce, sufficaunce. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. sufficience n.
1.
(a) That which suffices, all that is necessary; a sufficiency, enough; an adequate supply, quantity, etc. of something; also in proverbs; also, support [quot. c1450]; in ~, adequately, sufficiently; (b) abundance, plenty; wealth.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.490 : He koude in litel thyng haue suffisaunce.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.797 : Him thenkth..that he hath ful sufficance Of liflode and of sustienance.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1843 : But that I nolde no beest for me were deed, Thanne hadde I with yow homly suffisaunce.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)305b/b : Þer beþ oonliche fyue manere colours, and þe nombre þerof and suffisaunce may be take in þe forseide matiere.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3237 : Eleyne..maked hem good chere, Havynge of konnynge inly suffisaunce Boþe of chere and of dalyaunce.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)637 : Thanne wolde I Conseyle yow the royal tercel take..Which I have wrought so wel to my plesaunce That to yow hit oughte to been a suffisaunce.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6154 : Thou canst in litil also haue suffisaunce And art content with ful smal dispence.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Diet.(Sln 3534)14 : Ryche with lityll, content with suffisaunce.
- (1449) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)11.244 : The Souldeours and Inhabitantz of the Towne and Castill of Berewik and Rokesbourgh..shal..have souffisaunce of Gresse, Hay, and Fewel.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)4004 : God graunte knyghtes rubbe away the rust Of couetise, if it hir hertes cancre, And graunte hem picche in souffisance hir ancre.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)98/31 : He that askithe ouer his suffisans hathe that the whiche profitithe him not.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)160/4766 : Vpon the wawes owt more suffisaunce Me thought a-fer she came to me fletyng.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)192/12 : Apollo toke pouerte for suffisaunce and not rychesse for as moche as in rychesse may be no sufficiant reste nor suerte.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)227/13 : The richesses..faile us as to furnyssh in suffisaunce, and we faile thaim as in thaim disposinge to profite.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)376 : Whoo hath freedam hath al suffisaunce.
- a1500 Walton Boeth.(RwlPoet 151)p.94 : Suffishaunce [Lin-C: nature may haue hire sustenaunce].
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)140/116 : In this blisse..is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any maner nede.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2841 : That man that desireth and wole algates han werre shal neuere haue suffisaunce [vr. sufficaunce].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4412 : Þoruȝ-out þe lond þere was swiche aboundance, So moche good and so gret sufficaunce, Þat no wiȝt had among hem no nede.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4746 : Hir sonnysche her, liche Phebus in his spere, Bounde in a tresse..Whiche with a þrede of golde sche wolde bynde..Þer-to sche hadde so moche suffisaunce.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.2.135 : Men..desiren..rychesses, dignytes, reignes, glorie, and delices, for therby wenen they to han suffysaunce [vr. suffysaunse], honour, power, renoun, and gladnesse.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.10.207 : What seistow thanne of alle thise thinges, that is to seyn, suffisaunce [vr. suffyssaunce], power, and thise othere thinges.
- (1454) RParl.5.273a : Wherby greet richesse came into this your Royalme of England, bi means of Merchauntz of the seid Staple..beyng many in nombre and of greet suffisaunce.
- c1465 Chaucer CT.Sum.(CC 152)D.1844 : Suffisaunce [Heng: I am a man of litel sustenaunce].
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.187 : Kynulphe..reigned hole in all kyndes suffisaunce [A: suffishance]..In greate honoure and myghty greet puysaunce.
2.
(a) Ability, capability, capacity; the ability (to do sth.); (b) self-sufficiency.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.4 : It stant noght in my sufficance So grete thinges to compasse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1915 : This vice..doth him pleinly forto wene That he to loven eny qwene Hath worthinesse and sufficance.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.681 : Schipmen..haue suffisaunce y-nowe To guye her passage by Arthouris Plowe.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)671 : Rude of langage, y was not borne yn fraunce..Of her tunge I haue no suffisaunce Her corious metris In Inglissh to translate.
- c1450(c1390) Chaucer Ven.(Benson-Robinson)75 : Princes, receyveth this compleynt in gre..Direct after my litel suffisaunce, For elde..Hath of endyting al the subtilte Wel nygh bereft out of my remembraunce.
- ?1457 Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204)p.753 : I wolde..To your estate Rial do some plesance, To whiche I lakke nought elles but suffishance.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)8286 : He that [hath] no suffysaunce Wyth-Inne hym-sylff tendure peyne, Off lytel thyng he wyl compleyne.
- a1500(1429) Lydg.Hen.VI Coron.Roundel (Hrl 7333)5 : God of nature hath yoven him suffisaunce Likly to atteyne to grete honure and pris.
b
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.3.56 : He that hath lak or nede of aught nys nat in every wey suffisant to hymself..And thow..in al the plente of thy richesses haddest thilke lak of suffisaunce?
3.
(a) Contentment, satisfaction; ~ of, the satisfying of (a desire); (b) a source of satisfaction.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.833 : The felawes of Abstinence ben Attemperaunce..Suffisance, that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes, ne dooth no fors of to outrageous apparaillynge of mete.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5323 : For þat was hooly his entencioun, Of his desire fully suffisaunce, By deth vnwarly to ȝeven hym meschaunce.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3824 : Hir hertly ese & souereyne soffisaunce..Was euere in oon vp-on hym to þinke.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1716 : In suffisaunce [vr. suffisauns], in blisse, and in singynges, This Troilus gan al his lif to lede.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.3.88 : Rychesses, that men wenen scholde maken suffisaunce, they maken a man rather have nede of foreyn help.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)190 : Euery hert..him re-ioysseth with plesaunce, For the grete suffysaunce That they ha founde by disport.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)173/18 : Phi-losophirs..shewe and teche the wey to com by wysedome to the tresour of pur and parfyte suffisauns.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)213/6 : Yche man shall knowe that there is more happe, fredam, suertee, suffisaunce, and facultee of liuinge to his pleasir in the looge of a litle gardeyne than in the high paleys of the princes.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5088 : Ageyn deth he was her chef diffence, And in hym hooly was her affiaunce, Her surte, and her suffisaunce.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1741 : Ȝe han slayn her hope, her suffisance, Hector, in whom was al her affiaunce.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1309 : Welcome, my knyght, my pees, my suffisaunce!
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)11 : The stormy reyne off alle theyre hevynesse Were passed away..For the vjte Herry, roote off here gladnesse, Theyre hertis ioye, theyre worldis suffisaunce.
- a1450 12 PTrib.(3) (Bod 423)111/13 : God is the suffisaunce of the herte.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)1038 : For certes she was, that swete wif, My suffisaunce, my lust, my lyf.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)35/1033 : Mi hert complayneth that ye myght agrise Hem forto here, myn owen sovl suffisaunce.
- c1475(?a1422) Lydg.St.Bern.(1) (LdMisc 683)50 : Thow art my suffysaunce [St.Bern.(2): suffysans], Myn hoope, my trust, my protectour.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2002 : God shal be the hoole part Pleynly of ther enherytaunce, As ther Rychesse & suffysaunce.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)2022 : In crist Ihesu is hol my suffisaunce.