Attribuire

Attribuire is an Italian transitive verb meaning to attribute, ascribe, or credit something to someone or something. It is used to indicate that a quality, action, or result is ascribed to a person, a source, or a cause, and can also mean to assign or allocate a resource or responsibility. Common constructions include attribuire qualcosa a qualcuno (to attribute something to someone) and attribuire una paternità o una responsabilità a qualcuno.

Etymology and usage context: attribuire derives from Latin attribuere, formed from ad- "to" and tribuere "to grant, distribute." In Italian, the verb covers a range of contexts from literary or academic attribution (attribuire un testo a un autore) to everyday attributions of blame or credit (attribuire la colpa a qualcuno; attribuire un merito a una squadra). It can also express allocation, as in budgeting or assigning tasks.

Conjugation and forms: attribuire is a regular -ire verb with the typical isc- variation in the present tense. The present indicative forms are attribuisco, attribuisci, attribuisce, attribuiamo, attribuite, attribuiscono. The verb forms in other tenses follow standard -ire patterns; the participle is attribuito and it combines with avere to form compound tenses (Ho attribuito, Hai attribuito, ecc.). The gerund is attribuendo.

Notes: attribuire can be contrasted with imputer or incolpare, which have stronger or more specific senses of assigning fault or blame. It also appears in scholarly and journalistic writing when crediting origins, authorship, or causes.