Origin: 1400–50; sur-1 + cease; replacing late Middle English sursesen (v.) < Middle French sursis (past participle of surseoir) < Latin supersessus (past participle of supersedēre to forbear; see supersede), equivalent to super-super- + sed(ēre) sit1 + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > ss
early 15c., from Anglo-Fr. surseser, from O.Fr. sursis, pp. of surseoir "to refrain, delay," from L. supersedere (see supersede). The English spelling with -c- was influenced by the unrelated verb cease.