contribution English · revision 5850

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1387|origins=la-lat contributio}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˌkɒn.trɪˈbjuː.ʃən/, US /ˌkɑːn.trɪˈbjuː.ʃən/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English contribucioun, [[bor|fro|contribution|t=payment]] and directly [[bor|la-lat|contribūtiō|t=a dividing, distributing]] (accusative contributionem),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) a noun of action from contribūtus, the past participle of [[m|la|contribuere|t=to bring together, add]],^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) from com- “together” and tribuere “to allot, pay” (see [[tribute]]).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A tax or levy imposed on a district or population, for example to pay for defence in a border region: before 1387, in Trevisa, in Barnhart and the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The act of giving in common with others is from the mid-15th century,^(Etymonline) 1582 in the OED,^(OED 1989) and something given towards a common end from about 1600.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''To lay under contribution'', to levy payments from, is from 1644.^(OED 1989) In law, the payment of each party's share of a common loss is from 1641.^(OED 1989) An article written for a magazine or journal is from 1714.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The old sense, a levy imposed by an occupying army, is now historical.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1387 – a tax or levy.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * mid-15th century – giving in common.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1600 – something given.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1641 – in law.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1714 – an article for a journal.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of contributing.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something given, such as [[money]], time or ideas, towards a common purpose.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An article or story written for a [[newspaper]] or other publication.^(Collins 2023)^(Etymonline)

+ # A payment demanded for a special purpose; a [[levy]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[contributive]]

+ * [[contributively]]

+ * [[contributional]]

+ * [[noncontribution]]

+ * [[overcontribution]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contribute]]

+ * [[contributor]]

+ * [[contributory]]

+ * [[tribute]]

+ * [[distribution]]

+ * [[attribution]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}