Obs. Also 5 subp-, 6 soportacion. [a. OF. supportation, ad. late L. supportātio, -ōnem, f. supportāre to SUPPORT.]
1. Assistance, countenance; = SUPPORT sb. 1.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 176. They wol yeue yow Audience and lookynge to supportacion in thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn Absence.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 9182. Deff, and also specheles, And off no reputacioun, Ne wer thy supportacioun.
1427. Rolls of Parlt., V. 408/2. That no Lorde … receyve … Pilours, Robbours … or eny other open misdoer, so that the parties greved … shal not … pursue ayenst hem lawefully, bycause of such supportation of Lordeship.
1433. Lydg., St. Edmund, I. 1023. Al envyous supplantacioun Hadde in his siht no supportacioun.
1452. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. I. 12. With the help and supportation of Almighty God, and of our Lady.
1485. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 322/1. The said Morgan … hath greate supportacion, and is mighty in the said Shyre.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, iii. (1570), C iij/1. Their theft and fraudes, and their extortion And of misliuers their supportation.
1553. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. II. 213. I utterly denye to Smyth any supportacion at my handes in any of his misdemenors against my Lorde.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 453. Purposing by the supportation of his father, to make himselfe lord and Soveraign … of all Latium.
1650. W. D., trans. Comenius’ Gate Lat. Unl., § 660. Let the atturnie … not fail his client (as being one that … relies upon his supportation).
1659. Hammond, On Ps. cxlvi. 9. Shut out from all sorts of humane supportation.
b. Used in formulæ of supplication or submission, esp. under or with supportation of; = SUPPORT sb. 1 b.
1426. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 133. Undir favoure and supportacioun, Thus I begyn on my translacioun.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 16866. And certys, lady, with Supportacion off your grace [etc.].
c. 1460. Metham, Wks. (1916), 145. I, the endygter in Englysch, haue folowyd the sentens off ther wordys, vndyr the supportacionys off my masterys in this syens.
1519. Interl. Four Elem. (Percy Soc.), 3. By your pacyens and supportacyon A lytyll interlude … here shall be declaryd.
c. 1558. Cavendish, Wolsey (1893), 126. Under your correccion my lord, and supportacion of this noble audyence, ther is no thyng more ontrewe.
a. 1610. Healey, Theophrastus (1616), To Rdr. Be it spoken with the supportation of better iudgements.
c. = SUPPORT sb. 1 c.
1502. Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, II. ix. (1893), 187. We be gladde to haue consolacion and supportacion in all our lyfe and labours.
1597. J. T., Serm. Paules C., 67. The supportation of vs, wherein God, when wee are weake,… reuiueth vs.
1623. Bp. Hall, Contemp., O. T., XVIII. vi. The strongest faith sometime staggereth, and needeth new acts of heavenly supportation.
1627. Donne, Serm. Christmas Day (1640), 45. God shall raise thee with that supportation, Feare not thou worme of Iacob.
1681. Flavel, Right. Man’s Ref., 263. I am with you by way of protection, direction, supportation, and salvation.
2. Bearing of expense; SUPPORT sb. 2.
1437. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 503/2. In relef, confortation and supportation of the grete and importable charges.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 229 b. The supportacion of parte of the great and excessiue charges, whiche wee supporte and beare.
c. 1598. Bacon, Off. Alienations, Wks. 1831, XIII. 369. The benefited subject should render some small portion of his gain … for the supportation of the king’s expense.
1749. Hist. Windsor, viii. 103. Equal portions, towards their sustentation and maintenance, and the supportation of the burthen of the Chapel.
3. The relief or maintenance of a person, institution, office, etc., by a supply of funds; the keeping up of a building, etc. (Cf. SUPPORT sb. 3.)
1421. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 159/2. The whiche vitaille hath be so high supportacion to the Soudeours.
1445. in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. Introd. p. lviii. For to grawnt to your sayd besecher sum supportacyon to relevyng of tho sayd pouer College.
1544. Supplic. Hen. VIII. (E.E.T.S.), 44. The supportation and mayntenaunce of common scoles.
1547. Act 1 Edw. VI., c. 14 § 2. All annuall Rents … employed … for the … supportacion … of anny Stipendary Preist.
1625. Markham, Weald of Kent, Ep. Ded. A ij b. Your supportation of the poore.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 17. For the necessary sustentation, maintenance and supportation of the lord and his household. Ibid., 54 b. The law doth fauour the supportation & maintenance of houses of habitation for mankind.
1640. Walton, Life Donne, in Serm., B v. A most dutifull son to his Mother, carefull to provide for her supportation.
1656. Heylin, Surv. France, 281. The establishment and supportation of the meanest Oratory dependent on the Church of England.
1704. E. Chamberlayne, Pres. St. Eng., II. xv. (ed. 21), 195. Supportation, Aid, or Help of young Tradesmen.
b. Means of support.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 325. Myne owne industrie … is my only and alone supportation, the staffe and stay of my children.
c. Relief of disease, need, etc.
1527. Andrew, Brunswyke’s Distyll. Waters, A j. To conforte and supportacyon of theyr infyrmytees.
1609. Bible (Douay), Exod. xxviii. Comm., Supportation of the peoples infirmitie.
4. The preservation of anything in being; = SUPPORT sb. 3.
c. 1480. Henryson, Fables, Preach. Swallow, viii. All creature he maid for the behufe Of man, and to his supportatioun.
1513. Life Henry V. (1911), 23. In the defence and supportacion of our Catholique faith.
1536. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 14. The supportacion and mayntenaunce of … the frenche kinges warres against Themperour.
1547. Bale, 2nd Exam. Anne Askewe, 45. It is no newe thynge that Christes doctryne hath supportacyon among the counsels of thys worlde.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 478 b. What bolsteryng and supportation of lyes was there?
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. vi. (1623), 518. In supportation of young Henries quarrell.
1618. Bolton, Florus (1636), 25. The first armes which the people tooke were for supportation of their freedome.
1662. Hibbert, Body Div., II. 108. There is a power derived from the man to the woman … towards the supportation of life and well-being.
1691. I. Mather, in Andros Tracts, II. 288. Powers necessary for the Supportation of their Government.
5. Endurance. (Cf. SUPPORT v. 1 b.)
1502. Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, I. xxiii. (1893), 173. The supportacion of euery trybulacion for the loue of our lorde.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, II. (1625), 57. With what supportation and vnaccustomed griefe I haue retained them.
1751. in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. (1914), XIV. 134. Her patient Supportation of many Infirmities.
[1875. H. J. Coleridge, Preach. Beatitudes, 254. These fruits he [sc. St. Bernadine] calls ‘supportation,’ or bearing with one another.]
6. Physical or material holding or propping up: = SUPPORT sb. 4. Also in fig. context.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, XIII. xviii. (1620), 460. Why may not an earthly body be in heauen as well as the whole earth hang alone without any supportation?
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 454. As for supportation and strength it needed no assistance from the other parts.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, I. vi. 16. That Tree, by whose supportation they came to that high growth.
1633. Bp. Hall, Occas. Medit., cxxxiv. 332. The elme yeelds a beneficiall supportation to that weake … plant.
a. 1768. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., III. viii. § 96. If he go on foot, he must not be supported, or lean on any person by the way … if his going thither appear to be done with a special view to give validity to the deed, a more slender proof of supportation will be received as evidence of it.
