sufficiebat

Sufficiebat is a Latin verb form meaning "it was enough" or "it sufficed." It is the imperfect indicative active third-person singular of sufficere, a verb that means "to suffice" or "to be enough." The imperfect sufficiebat expresses a past, ongoing sufficiency, as opposed to a completed past indicated by the perfect forms (e.g., sufficivit, “it sufficed”). The full imperfect paradigm of sufficere includes sufficiebam, sufficiebas, sufficiebat, sufficiebamus, sufficiebatis, sufficiebant.

Etymology and form: sufficere is a Latin verb meaning "to suffice" or "to be enough." The form sufficiebat derives from the present stem suffic- combined with the imperfect endings of the -ere verbs. The root suffic- is related to the sense of making or providing enough in a given situation. As with other sufficere forms, sufficiebat appears in classical, late antique, and medieval Latin texts to denote sufficiency in quantity, time, or argument.

Usage: In Latin, sufficere and its imperfect sufficiebat are used to describe conditions that were adequate for a purpose or need. It can govern resources, time, or other measures, and often contrasts with expressions for insufficiency or with more explicit quantifiers such as satis. In narrative, sufficiebat can convey continuity of sufficiency over a period rather than a single point in time.

Example (Latin): Copia ciborum parva erat, sed sufficiebat.

Translation: The supply of food was small, but it sufficed.