English
distribution
Distribution comes from Old French distribution, from Latin distribūtiō ‘division’, from distribuō ‘to distribute’, from dis- + tribuō ‘to assign’, from tribus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘tribe; division of the Roman people’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuō‘to grant, assign’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistribuō‘to divide, distribute’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistribūtiō‘division, distribution’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400distribution
- Englishearliest quotation 1553same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘tribe; division of the Roman people’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuō‘to grant, assign’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistribuō‘to divide, distribute’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistribūtiō‘division, distribution’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400distribution
- Englishearliest quotation 1553same form
Earliest quotation: 1553, Thomas Wilson, Diſtribucion: “It is alſo called a diſtribucion, when we diuide…”
Equivalent to distribute + -ion
Proto-Italic *triðus ‘trinity, tripartite entity’
Latin tribus ‘one of the three original tribes of Rome:…’
Latin tribuō ‘to give, impart’
Latin distribuere ‘to divide, distribute’
Latin distributus ‘divided, distributed’
English distribute
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tréyes ‘three’
three, tri, tern, troika, 11 more
through Latin trēs ‘three’
trinity, trio, trey, tres, triplex, 9 more
through Latin tribus ‘one of the three original tribes of Rome:…’
tribe, contribute, tribal, tribute, contribution, tribunal, tribune, contributor, retribution, attribution, 4 more
Today it means
noun An act of distributing or state of being distributed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin tribus / distribution