† supporˈtation Obs.
Also 5 subp-, 6 soportacion.
[a. OF. supportation, ad. late L. supportātio, -ōnem, f. supportāre to support.]
1. Assistance, countenance; = support n. 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. tr. 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 n. 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 J. 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 n. 1 c.
| 1502 W. Atkynson tr. 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 Contempl., 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 J. Flavel Right. Man's Ref. 263, I am with you by way of protection, direction, supportation, and salvation. |
2. Bearing of expense; = support n. 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 n. 3.)
| 1421 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 159/2 The whiche vitaille hath be so high supportacion to the Soudeours. 1445 in Willis & Clark Cambr. (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 n. 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 amonge 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 W. Atkynson tr. 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 n. 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 tr. 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{ddd}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. |