Also 7– (now erron.) subsistance. [ad. late L. subsistentia, f. subsistens SUBSISTENT: see -ENCE. Cf. F. subsistance (from 16th c.), It. sussistenza, Sp., Pg. subsistencia. The L. word represents etymologically Gr. ὑπόστασις HYPOSTASIS.]
I. 1. Existence as a substance or entity; substantial, real or independent existence.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), III. 221. Plato, whiche putte in God a cause of subsistence to be [qui dixit in Deo causam esse subsistendi].
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1032. It [sc. the soul] hath the subsistence and composition by harmony, but harmonie it is none.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., III. iv. 65. An abstract is no more an abstract, if it have a subsistence.
a. 1665. J. Goodwin, Being filled with the Sp. (1867), 209. The distinct manner of the subsistence of this one God—viz., that he subsists in three, which we call persons.
1680. Burnet, Rochester (1692), 57. He believed the soul hac a distinct subsistence.
a. 1711. Ken, Hymns Evang., Poet Wks. I. 28. A Drop, which has Subsistence when alone, Will loose it when into the Ocean thrown.
1736. Chandler, Hist. Persec., 43. Beryllus also … taught that our Saviour had no proper personal subsistence before his becoming Man.
1738. Warburton, Div. Legat., I. 47. This reason is a mere abstract Notion, which hath no real Subsistence.
1838. [F. Haywood], trans. Kant’s Crit. Pure Reason, 654. Subsistence (Subsistenz) the existence of the substance, as inherence is that of the accident.
2. A thing that has substantial or real existence.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. ii. 7. The soule and body of the world are knit together by the … æthereal spirits,… Joyning each part of the whole into one subsistence.
1650. Earl Monm., trans. Senault’s Man bec. Guilty, 50. When she [sc. the soul] withdraws within her self she knows subsistences, she treats with spirits.
1659. Moxon, Tutor Astron., Præface. They … concluded the Parts to be Round: I meane, very intire Subsistence, as the Stars, Planets, and the Earth.
a. 1774. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 191. Because substances cannot inexist in anything, much less coexist in the same subject; therefore he [sc. Plato] styled them hypostases or subsistences.
† b. The substance of a thing. Obs.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. 27 b. The one [sc. power] expressed in making the subsistence of the mater, & the other [sc. wisdom] in disposing the beauty of the fourme.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., Pref. § 8 (1712), 5. The framing of Matter into the bare subsistence of an Animal.
† 3. The condition or quality of inhering or residing in something. Obs.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 50. The forme is not the difference it selfe: for, a forme is a subsistence in an vnitie.
1650. Hobbes, De Corpore Politico, 133. The Subsistence and Migration of Accidents from place to place.
4. Continued existence; continuance. Now rare.
1616. Bullokar, Engl. Exp., Subsistence, the abiding or continuance of a thing in it owne estate.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 122. A thing of perpetuall subsistance and continuance.
1642. in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), III. I. 771. This time of urgent Necessity, which so much importeth the Safety, and even the very subsistance of Us and Our good People.
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxvii. 217. This Liberty of the Subject concerns himself and the subsistence of his own regal power.
a. 1687. H. More, in Glanvill’s Sadducismus (1689), 445. Believing no subsistence of the Soul of Christ after Death.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 100. It is necessary for the very subsistence of the world, that … injustice, and cruelty, should be punished.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., VII. III. 3. This barbarous outrage committed during the subsistence of truce.
a. 1781. Watson, Philip III., III. (1793), I. 380. To rival the Dutch in those branches of commerce which they had engrossed during the subsistence of the war.
1875. Gorman, trans. Swedenborg’s Chr. Psychol., ii. 19. Subsistence is the plain proof of existence. Hence the well-known maxim, Subsistence is perpetual existence.
† 5. A state or mode of existence. Obs.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. li. § 1. Euery person hath his owne subsistence which no other besides hath.
1627. in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 499. Let us all labor to get the King on our side, and this may be no hard matter, considering the neer subsistence between the King and people.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., 299. The Watry Consistence, left in a circular subsistence by the subsiding of the Ball of Earth into the common Center of the Universe.
† 6. Theol. Any of the three Persons of the Trinity; = HYPOSTASIS 5. Obs.
In late Gr. ὑπόστασις was used as the equivalent of L. persona; but in the treatise Contra Eutychen et Nestorium iii., ascribed to Boethius, it is stated that subsistentia in this sense renders Gr. οὐσίωσις.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. xiii. 32. I call therefore a Persone, a subsistence in the essence of God.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades, IV. iii. 624/1. We doe neither confound, nor yet denye or take away the three Subsistences or persons of the diuine essence.
1641. Milton, Reform., II. Wks. 1851, III. 68. The third subsistence of Divine Infinitude, illumining Spirit.
a. 1670. South, Serm., Col. ii. 2. (1727), IV. 295. One single, undivided Nature’s casting itself into three Subsistences, without receding from its own Unity.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Phil. ii. 5, 6. Christ,… the Brightness of his Father’s Glory, and the express Image of his Subsistence, (or Person).
a. 1704. [see SUBSISTENT sb. 3].
II. † 7. Basis, foundation; = HYPOSTASIS 2. Obs.
a. 1631. Donne, Selections (1840), 78. Let us look first to … reason; for if we lose that there is no footing, no subsistence for grace.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 348. What is God, but the very Being of all things that yet are not, and the Subsistence of things that are?
† 8. Sediment; = HYPOSTASIS 1 a. Obs.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gent., i. 16. The pure Oyle cannot mingle with the water, no more this extracted quintessence and Spirit of Vertue, with the dregges and subsistence of vnworthinesse.
III. 9. The provision of support for animal life; the furnishing of food or provender. Now rare exc. in means of subsistence.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., II. liv. (1892), 454. A Tree call’d Manguais, which affords … all things … that belong to the subsistence of man.
1655. Cromwell, Lett., Nov. (1845), II. 390. What necessary supplies, as well for comfortable subsistence as for your security against the Spaniard, this place may afford.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Praise Pov., Wks. 1730, I. 104. Tilling their own few acres of ground for the subsistence of their families.
1767. A. Young, Farmer’s Lett. to People, 99. Furnishing turnips for the winter subsistance of the cattle.
1794. S. Williams, Vermont, 103. As the means of subsistence were destroyed, they removed further to the westward.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Brooke Farm, iii. 39. I should not wonder if you must pay for the subsistence of your cow this winter by extra labour.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., xiv. (1880), 244. Finding the door to promotion or even to subsistence closed against him.
1884. Law Times Rep., L. 9/2. We submit that the court will not reduce the defendant to beggary by selling his only means of subsistence.
b. The upkeep of an army; the provision of supplies for troops.
1746. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., V. 41. The providing a sufficient quantity of Provisions for the subsistence of the Troops which shall be raised here.
1793. Lindsay (title), Extracts from Colonel Tempelhoffe’s History of the Seven Years’ War; his Remarks … on the Subsistence of Armies, and On the March of Convoys.
1834. Wellington, in Stanhope, Convers. (1888), 60. I have always taken most especial care of the subsistence of my troops.
10. Means of supporting life in persons or animals; means of support or livelihood. (In first quot. transf.)
1639. Fuller, Holy War, I. xxiv. 39. As for the brook Cedron, it was dried up, as having no subsistence of it self.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 245. If reduc’d subsistence to implore, In common prudence they wou’d pass your door.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 4 Feb. 1693. France in the utmost … poverty for want of corn and subsistence.
1760. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Mass., ii. (1765), 232. The country … but just affording subsistence.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Illustr. Pol. Econ., IV. Fr. Wines & Pol., viii. I thought our poor helped out their subsistence by nettle broth and frog stew.
1834. L. Ritchie, Wand. Seine, 183. The inhabitants … derive their subsistance chiefly from fishing.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., III. iii. 630. It is the interest of the monarch that his subjects should have subsistence and abundance.
b. With a and † pl. A living, livelihood.
1690. Child, Disc. Trade (1698), 62. A trading country affording comfortable subsistances to more families than a country destitute of trade.
1693. Dryden, Disc. Satire, Ess. (ed. Ker), II. 38. My little salary ill paid, and no prospect of a future subsistence.
c. 1720. Pope, Lett. to Buckingham, Wks. 1737, VI. 110. There is yet a small subsistance left them [sc. rats] in the few remaining books of the Library.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley, viii. 127. You offered your labour in return for a subsistence paid out of our capital.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. vi. A knot of those amphibious human-creatures who appear to have some mysterious power of extracting a subsistence out of tidal water by looking at it.
† c. Food-supply, food, provender. Obs.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. 77. Their subsistence is much the same as in the other Islands…; they having some Goats [etc.].
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772, 278. All the subsistance the poor people have besides is curds milk and fish.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. xi. I. 286. They [sc. kinds of rude produce] have become worth … a greater quantity of labour and subsistence.
1788. Encycl. Brit. (1797), II. 756/1. The seal … being their principal subsistence.
d. = SUBSISTENCE MONEY 1.
1702. Milit. Dict. (1704), Subsistance, is Mony paid Weekly or Monthly, or otherwise to Soldiers, for them to subsist on till the general Pay days.
1798. R. Jackson, Hist. & Cure Fever, 395. The pay of a soldier, while at home, the ration, on foreign service, with a small addition, or weekly stoppage from the subsistence, will be found equal to furnish every comfort … which a sick man can require.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Subsistence, the amount to be issued to troops as daily pay, after making the regulated deductions for rations, necessaries, etc.
11. attrib., as subsistence dole; subsistence department U.S., the department that has charge of the provision of subsistence for troops; subsistence diet, the minimal amount of food requisite to keep a person in health; so subsistence quantity; subsistence stores U.S., stores required to keep an army in food, etc. Also SUBSISTENCE MONEY.
1863. Congress. Globe, App. 184/2. That there be added to the *subsistence department of the Army one brigadier general,… who shall be Commissary General of Subsistence.
1865. L. Playfair, Food of Man, 39. The urea secreted by a man living on a mere *subsistence diet.
1897. Daily News, 30 March, 3/1. 330,000 gratuitously relieved by *subsistence doles.
1865. L. Playfair, Food of Man, 26. There is also included in this *subsistence quantity [of food] both a limited amount of mental work and a full proportional of assimilative work.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., *Subsistence stores (U.S.), the supplies of food required for the regular army.
1898. Daily News, 30 June, 5/4. Inability to bring the subsistence stores to the front rapidly enough.
