Origin and history of suffer

mid-13c., sufferen, "allow to occur or continue, refrain from hindering, fail to prevent or suppress," also "be made to undergo, endure, be subjected to" (pain, death, punishment, grief, injury, humiliation); from Anglo-French suffrir, Old French sofrir "bear, endure, resist; permit, tolerate, allow" (Modern French souffrir), from Vulgar Latin *sufferire, variant of Latin sufferre "to bear, undergo, endure, carry or put under." This is a compound of sub "up, under" (see sub-) + ferre "to carry, bear," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children."

It replaced Old English þolian, þrowian. Its use and sense development in English are entwined with the story of Christ's Passion and martyrs' tales. The meaning "submit meekly to" is from early 14c. The intransitive meaning "undergo or submit to stress, affliction, pain, death" is from early 14c.; especially "undergo without succumbing, endure bravely or unflinchingly" (mid-14c.).

The general meaning "undergo, be subject to, be affected by, experience; be acted on by an agent" is from late 14c. Related: Suffered; sufferer; suffering. Suffering ______! as an exclamation is attested from 1859; perhaps influenced by phrases in Puritan literature, such as suffering saint.

For ye suffre foles gladly because that ye youreselves are wyse. [II Corinthians vi in Tyndale, 1526]

Who can suffre hath his desire. [from Peter Idley's Instructions to His Son]