Tributo

Tributo is a term used in Portuguese and Spanish with several related meanings. At its core, it denotes a payment or contribution owed to a ruler, state, or authority, often as a tax or levy. The word derives from Latin tributum, meaning a share assigned or contributed.

Historically, tribute referred to obligations imposed by a sovereign on conquered peoples, vassal states, or dependent territories. Tributes could be paid in money, goods, or labor and were used to acknowledge sovereignty and to finance administration, defense, and other state functions. In imperial and colonial contexts, tribute arrangements shaped relations between central powers and subject regions.

In modern usage, tributo can denote taxes or levies imposed by governments, such as municipal or national taxation. The term also appears in cultural contexts, where it conveys homage or honor. A tribute performance, album, or event is designed to honor a person, group, or era, for example a tribute concert to a musician or a tribute band that performs another artist’s material.

See also: tax; tribute band; homage; historical tribute.