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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sufferance, Sufferans, Suffrance, n. Also: souerance. [ME and e.m.E. sufferance, suffrance (both Cursor M.), suffraunce (c1330), OF sofrance, soffrance, souffrance (c1175, c1200 and 13th c. in Larousse), L. sufferentia, f. as Suffer v.]

1. Patient endurance, forbearance; the quality of being long-suffering. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1243 (Asl.).
A man … Wald think to [= too] saire & passing sufferans On his a syde to ly but liberte c1490 Porteous Noblenes 102 (Ch. & M.).
Thou art scho that examinis al hertis & … chesis out the fynit hertis in treuth & leaute be thy humyl sufferance 1494 Loutfut MS 35b.
A stole quhilk signifies the band that our Lord wes bownd with be his sufferance and humblenesse a1500 Quare Jel. 198.
Full of mercy vnto euery thing In suffrance stant of mony grete offense a1500 Quare Jel. 486.
Hir innocence … hath no suerd bot suffrance and pacience For to resist agaynis hir inyury 1513 Doug. i iv 80.
By diuers cacis, seir perrellis and sufferance Onto Itale we ettill 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 4.
Fering Goddis skurge … eftir the manifold mercies and lang sufferans of the Lord a1568 Bann. MS 87a/28.
Be sufferance thy purpois thow fulfill a1585 Maitl. Q. 122/117.
All men thinkis a play me to iniure My sufferance to vyice dois thame alluire a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1395.
Sufferance asuages ire, amendeth that that is amiss

b. Be (the) sufferance of God, through God's sufferance, by the grace of God.(a) 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 29.
Walter, throu Goddis sufferance bischope of Brechine 1492 Myll Spect. 272/8.
Be the sufferans of God, I purpois to endure me to the translatioun of the samyn [book](b) 1439 Edinb. Chart. 64.
Patrike be the souerance of God Abbot of Halyrudhouse

2. The suffering of mental or physical pain.(1) a1500 Quare Jel. 25.
Remembring … on the suffrance and the peyne Quhich most hath do my carefull hert constreyne a1500 Lanc. 1014.
Hir for to serue the wich thei no thing wate What sufferance I in hir wo endure(2) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1438 (Asl.).
Our glorifyet body sall haue agilite And subtilte but sufferans of passioun c1490 Irland Asl. MS 24/23.
That ony werk or sufferance of pane be sufficiently satisfactour ar fyve condiconis requyrit

3. The action of allowing others to do as they please; acquiescence. c1590 Fowler II 81/7.
The Romans … vnderstood weill eneugh that by sic sufferance the occasioun of weir was not removed bot diffeired