Etymologically
Log in

tributim

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 20:45. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [trɪˈbuː.tĩː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [triˈbuː.tim][1]

Forms

tribūtim (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tribus (“tribe”) + -tim;[1][2] the OLD analyses it as formed on ⟨tribūtus⟩ with the adverbial suffix ⟨-im⟩.[3] De Vaan traces tribus to Proto-Italic *triþu- (“tripartite entity”) and, following Weiss, to Proto-Indo-European *tri-dʰh₁-u- (“tripartite division”).[4] Cognate with Umbrian trifu (“district”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro,[4] who uses it in De lingua Latina;[5][6] Köbler dates it from Cicero.[7]

Semantic evolution

It means by tribes, tribe by tribe, of the Roman citizen body divided into its tribes.[3][2] Cicero speaks of orders enrolled by tribes and by centuries, of money handed out by tribes and of shows given tribe by tribe.[2][5] In Livy it refers to voting in the tribal assembly: a law laid down that what the plebs ordered by tribes should bind the whole people.[2][6] Horace has arripuit populum tribūtim, “he attacked the people tribe by tribe”, that is without distinction.[2][5]

A British medieval glossary explains it as from tribe to tribe.[8]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[4][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of money handed out by tribes.[2][7]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of attacking the people tribe by tribe.[2][7]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of voting in the tribal assembly.[2][7]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. By tribes, tribe by tribe.[3][2]
  2. (of voting) In the assembly of the tribes.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ 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