Obs. Also 4–5 souffisaunce, (4 sufficance), 5 suffishance, souffisance, 5–6 suffysaunce, 6 suffisans, -zaunce, illit. -gance, 6–7 suffizance. [a. OF. suff-, soffisance (in Gower sufficance), ad. late L. sufficientia SUFFICIENCE.]
1. (A) sufficient provision or supply; enough to supply one’s needs.
c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 637. Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce; That to yow oghte been a suffisaunce. Ibid. (c. 1386), Sompn. T., 135. Haue I nat of a capon but the lyuere And of youre softe breed nat but a shyuere And after that a rosted pigges heed … Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce [v.r. sufficeance].
c. 1400. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 27. Be payed with litelle, content with suffisance.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Auian, xii. Euerychone ought to haue suffysaunce and to be content of that that he hath.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Maners (1570), C j. Wherfore on suffisaunce set thy pleasour and ioy, And couet not to climbe.
1568. Jacob & Esau, IV. ix. A litle thing God wotte to me is suffisance.
1632. Holland, Cyrupædia, 186. And when I have gotten it: looke what surplusage I see over and above suffisance.
2. Sufficient quantity of; = SUFFICIENCY 3.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. viii. (Skeat), l. 116. Suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any maner nede.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 28. Him thenkth … that he hath ful sufficance Of liflode.
1449. Respect. Truce w. Scot., in Rymer Fœdera (1710), XI. 244. Souffisaunce, of Gresse, Hay.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 2004. I shal fulfill and do yowr ordynans Als far of wit as I have suffisans.
c. 1510. Kal. Sheph., F iiij. Suffysaunce of all thyngs necessary for salute & helpe of our soules & of our bodyes.
1544. Betham, Precepts War, II. lxxxiii. M ij b. To prouyde that thyne armye maye haue suffysaunce of vytayle.
3. Abundance, ample means, wealth.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 161. He liveth to the sufficance Of his havinge.
c. 1400. Sc. Trojan War (Horstm.), II. 3058. Thelamocus regned … In Achaia ȝeris sevynty, That in tyme of his governance It eked in-to gret suffisance.
1454. Rolls of Parlt., V. 273/1. Merchauntz … beyng many in nombre, and of greet suffisaunce.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. XXX. x. (MS. Seld.). Leving his lond … In suffisaunce, and alle prosperite.
1574. A. L. trans. Calvin’s Foure Serm., Ep. We see some flowing in earthly wealth and suffisance.
4. Ability; = SUFFICIENCY 4.
c. 1392. Chaucer, Compl. Venus, 17. Not withstondyng al his suffisaunce, His gentil hert ys of so grete humblesse [etc.].
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 8286. He that hath no suffysaunce Wyth-Inne hym-sylff tendure peyne.
1426. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 140. God of nature hath yoven him suffisaunce, Likly to atteyne to grete honure and pris.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, d iij b. Other ther ben that haue grace, wytte and suffisaunce ageynste couetyse.
1627. J. Carter, Plain Expos., 84. So in like manner are we, for competencie and suffizance in outward things, to vse the best industrie and prouision that we can.
5. Satisfaction, contentment.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. pr. iii. (1868), 70. Þou … in alle þe plente of þi rycchesse haddest þilke lak of suffisaunce. Ibid. (c. 1386), Pars. T., ¶ 833. Suffisance, that seketh no riche metes ne drinkes.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reason & Sens., 190. Euery hert … him reioysseth with plesaunce, For the grete suffysaunce That they ha founde by disport. Ibid. (c. 1430), Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 123. Covetise oppressithe souffisaunce.
1484. Caxton, Curiall, 3. Yf thou be in mens estate of whyche thou hast not suffysaunce thou shalt stryue for to mounte and ryse hyer.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretarie, II. (1625), 97. In couetousnesse there is neuer any suffizance.
1590. Spenser, Muiop., 207. In the warme Sunne he doth himselfe embay, And there him rests in riotous suffisaunce Of all his gladfulnes.
b. A source of satisfaction.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 1038. She was, that swete wife, My suffisaunce, my luste, my lyfe.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 2. The vjte. Herry, roote of her gladnes, Ther hertes joy, ther worldis suffisaunce. Ibid., 10. Sovereigne lord, welcome to youre citee!… Welcome oure gladness, welcome oure suffisaunce!
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.), I. vii. I graunte that Ihesu cryste is very redemptor & suffysaunce of all the worlde.
c. The satisfying (of a desire).
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke iv. 54. More then for the suffisaunce of nature is necessarie.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apoc., 113. Not to hunger nor to thirst is taken for the full suffizance of all desires.
6. Self-sufficiency, independence.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 202. And by cause I shold haue suffysaunce, he commaunded and charged me that neuer I shold put my self in subiection of none offyce vnder my souerayne lord.
7. [After mod.F. suffisance.] Excess of self-confidence, conceit. (Cf. SUFFICIENCY 6.)
1781. Bentham, in Tait’s Mag. (1840), VII. 703. Pratt has more distance and more suffisance than either of the others. Ibid. (1781), Mem. & Corr., Wks. 1843, X. 100. In his conversation there is … nothing of that hauteur and suffisance one would expect.
