English
contribute
Contribute comes from Latin contribūtus, participle of contribuō ‘to bring together’, from tribuō ‘to bestow’, from tribus ‘tribe’, ultimately from trēs ‘three’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tréyes‘three’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trēs‘three’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrēs‘three’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘tribe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuō‘to bestow’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontribuō‘to bring together; to unite’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontribūtus‘contributed’perfect passive participle of contribuō
- Englishearliest quotation 1849contribute
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tréyes‘three’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trēs‘three’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrēs‘three’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘tribe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuō‘to bestow’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontribuō‘to bring together; to unite’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontribūtus‘contributed’perfect passive participle of contribuō
- Englishearliest quotation 1849contribute
Earliest quotation: 1849, William Scott, Francis Garden: “That principle carried out consistently and logically, makes the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tréyes ‘three’
three, tri, tern, troika, 12 more
through Latin trēs ‘three’
trinity, trio, trey, tres, triplex, 10 more
through Latin tribus ‘tribe’
distribution, tribe, tribal, tribunal, tribune, 6 more
through Latin tribuō ‘to bestow’
Today it means
verb To give something that is or becomes part of a larger whole.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tréyes / contribute