a. Obs. Forms: 4 suffis(c)haunt, -yssaunt, -icant, Sc. -icent, 4–5 -isant, 4–6 -isaunt, 5 -ysa(u)nt, -ischande, -issant, souffis(s)ant, suffissand. [a. OF. suffisant, soufisant, in Gower -cant (whence also MDu. soff-, suffisant), pr. pple. of suffire to SUFFICE, Cf. SUFFICIENT.]
1. = SUFFICIENT 1 (with various const.).
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxxvi. 2. Bot if oure lord be kepere of oure saulis, all oure besynes is noght suffyssaunt.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 85. Cristis reule were fulli suffisant to alle men.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 365. Loke þat they … han ther-Inne vitaille suffisant But for a day.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 153. Me thenketh that this evidence As to this point is sufficant.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., Prol. 63. Ther folwith a canon, suffisant to teche … the maner of the wyrkyng of þat same conclusioun.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5608. Mete and drynke and esy foode … And also suffisaunt clothyng.
1450. Hen. VI., in Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., Var. Coll. IV. 85. There vitailes ben not suffisant to serue them for iij wekes.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1300. Halfe a hate lafe and soule he fande, Þat to a male was suffischande.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 135. Whan they fonde hem in nombre suffisant for to entre in to bataylle.
a. 1500. Craft of Deyng, in Ratis Raving, etc., 3. Þocht … he had neuer ben schrewyne befor … sa at thare-of he mycht haf suffissand contriscione, he war sauf.
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 82. These for our life we holden suffisaunt.
2. Of things (chiefly immaterial): Satisfactory in quality or efficacy; effective.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 3874. If it [sc. a bishop’s pardon] be noght swa suffishaunt Als þe papes es.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s T., 54. To seche and leere An answere suffisant [v.rr. sufficia(u)nt, sufficant] in this mateere.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 8. Þat þey leye a suffisaunt wed, or elles fynde suffisaunt borwes of þe broþerhede.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 81. Thei … token what thei myhten wynne Of such good as was sufficant. Ibid., 250. The tokne was so sufficant That it ne mihte be forsake.
1455. Paston Lett., I. 365. As it apperith by writing suffisaunt.
3. Of persons: = SUFFICIENT 3.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2524, Phyllis. Ye be nat suffisaunt to bere the peyne. Ibid. (c. 1386), Pard. T., 470. That ye mowe haue a suffisant Pardoneer Tassoille yow.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), IV. xxix. (1859), 61. An vnwyse kyng … lesith his people; but by the wytte of a suffysaunt souerayne, the peple is saued.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 362. Þe worþi prelacie, And vnder hem þe suffissant clergye.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., III. viii. 184. In his place he wyl leue for hym a suffysaunt man. Ibid. (1491), Vitas Patr. (W. de W., 1495), I. Prol. 1. We ben not couenable ne suffisaunt to telle & recompte soo grete thynges.
4. Of persons: = SUFFICIENT 4.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, b j. He sente certayne knyghtes and ladyes of the most suffisaunt of his royamme.
1491. Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889), 374. So that he fyn[d]e suffisaunt suertes therto.
5. = SUFFICIENT 6.
Chiefly after L. sufficiens (sibi).
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xxii. 1. Na thynge sall me want, þat is, in him i sall be sikere and suffisaunt.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. pr. iii. (1868), 70. Þanne may nat rycchesse maken þat a man nis nedy ne þat he be suffisaunt to hym self.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xii. 9. Betere is a pore man, and suffisaunt to hymself, than a glorious, and nedi bred.
