contributio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔn.trɪˈbuː.ti.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon.triˈbut.t͡si.o]^[1]

Forms

contribūtiō f (genitive contribūtiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from contribuō “to contribute” with the suffix -tiō.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first sources are inscriptions and the jurist Maecianus (2nd century AD).^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a payment, contribution.^[2] Lewis & Short call it post-classical and give a dividing, distributing; in the Digest it is the balancing of debit and credit.^[4][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for payment of a share, and for a subsidy or tax, especially a papal one.^[6] It survives in Italian contribuzione and Spanish contribución, and gave English contribution in the late 14th century, first “a levy imposed on a district”.^[1][7]

Timeline

• 2nd century AD – Maecianus uses it.^[3]
• late 14th century – English contribution is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A payment, contribution.^[2]
2. A distributing; a balancing of accounts.^[4][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) A subsidy, tax.^[6]

Related words

• contribuō
• tribuō
• English contribution

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com