Etymologically
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tributum

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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

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