Archaic KJV Word
Longsuffering
Modern equivalent: patience
What Was Lost
The compound meaning: long + suffering. Not patience in a waiting room but suffering that goes on and on, borne without complaint or retaliation. It described God's character -- He suffers long with rebellious humanity rather than destroying them. Patience doesn't capture the pain.
Closest Survivor in Modern English
long-suffering (hyphenated, still appears in some translations but sounds archaic)
Peak Usage (1611)
KJV Galatians 5:22 -- 'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering'
Died ~1950
Compound word felt archaic as English moved away from Germanic compounds; replaced by Latin-derived 'patience,' which fit modern sensibilities better.
What Replaced It
“patience”
Implies waiting calmly; longsuffering meant enduring active affliction over extended time without retaliating
“forbearance”
Formal and measured; longsuffering carried raw, extended pain borne willingly
“tolerance”
Passive acceptance; longsuffering was active endurance under suffering