tributum

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [trɪˈbuː.tũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [triˈbuː.tum]^[1]

Forms

tribūtum n (genitive tribūtī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter of tribūtus, participle of tribuō “to allot”, used as a noun.^[2][1] Varro says it is named from the tribes, because the money imposed on the people was collected tribe by tribe from each in proportion to his census.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Varro, whom he dates 116–27 BC.^[4] The OLD's earliest citation for the tax is from Cicero.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant a tax or levy, at first an occasional war tax paid by Roman citizens through the tribes, as Cicero's tribūtum cōnferre, and tribute paid to other powers, as Caesar's tribūtum pendere.^[2][5] In Ulpian it was a tax on something, and a sum due to creditors.^[2] Ovid uses it figuratively of an offering.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant tribute, tax, contribution.^[6] Medieval Latin used it of a state tax, a rent and labour service, and British Medieval Latin had tribūtum nātūrae solvere “to pay nature's debt”, to die.^[7][8] English tribute came in the mid-14th century through Anglo-French and directly from Latin.^[9]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro explains it from the tribes.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a tax.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of tribute.^[5][4]
• mid-14th century – English tribute is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tax, levy; tribute.^[2]
2. A contribution, offering.^[2]
3. A sum due to creditors.^[2]
4. (Medieval Latin) A rent; labour service.^[7]

Word family

• tribūtārius

Related words

• tribuō
• tribus
• vectīgal
• English tribute
• English tributary

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina (text of The Latin Library; book and paragraph numbers as there).
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b 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 Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com