Etymologically
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contribuo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈtrɪ.bu.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈtriː.bu.o][1]

Forms

contribuō (present infinitive contribuere, perfect active contribuī, supine contribūtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and tribuō “to allot”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL says it is read from Caesar onwards, in a few places in Caesar, Tibullus and Ovid.[3] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to join in one, unite, and to attach a town or people to a state or ruler for administrative purposes, as in Livy.[2] In Columella it meant to allot, assign, and in Tibullus to share, contribute, give, as Ovid's contribuere “to add one's part”.[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to help, contribute, unite, add.[6] English contribute came in the 1520s from its participle contribūtus.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it.[3][4]
  • c. 55–19/18 BC – Tibullus uses it of contributing.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of uniting towns.[2][4]
  • 1520s – English contribute is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To unite, incorporate; to attach to a state.[2]
  2. To allot, assign.[2]
  3. To share; to contribute, give.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com