English
tribute
Tribute comes from Latin tribuere ‘to assign, allot’, from tribus ‘one of the three original tribes of Rome:…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tréyes‘three’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trejesreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*trēs‘three’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrēs‘three’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘one of the three original tribes of Rome: Ramnes, Tities, Luceres’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuere‘to assign, allot’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtributumliterally ‘a thing contributed or paid’past participle of tribuere
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tribut
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1654tribute
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tréyes‘three’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trejesreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*trēs‘three’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrēs‘three’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribus‘one of the three original tribes of Rome: Ramnes, Tities, Luceres’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtribuere‘to assign, allot’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtributumliterally ‘a thing contributed or paid’past participle of tribuere
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tribut
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1654tribute
Earliest quotation: 1654, Richard Whitlock: “Amorous Trifler, that spendeth[…]his Afternoones in discourse with Paint,…”
The story
From Middle English tribut (14th c.), from Middle French tribut, from Latin tributum (“tribute”, literally “a thing contributed or paid”), past participle of tribuere (‘to assign, allot’), usually derived from tribus (“tribe”, which see).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tréyes ‘three’
three, tri, tern, troika, 14 more
through Latin trēs ‘three’
trinity, trio, trey, tres, triplex, 12 more
through Latin tribus ‘one of the three original tribes of Rome:…’
distribution, contribution, tribe, tribal, contributor, retribution, attribution, 7 more
Today it means
noun An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tréyes / tribute