attribuere

attribuere is a Latin verb meaning to attribute, ascribe, or assign something to someone or something. It is used to indicate that a property, action, authorship, blame, or honor is being ascribed to a person or a source. The sense encompasses giving credit as well as designating cause or origin.

Etymology and form: attribuere is formed from ad- or a- meaning toward or to, plus tribuere “to grant or allot.” The verb appears in classical Latin and belongs to the third conjugation of -ere verbs. Its principal parts are attribuo, attribuere, attribui, attributum. In usage, the thing attributed is typically in the accusative, and the recipient or source in the dative, as in attributing something to someone.

Usage and examples: In Latin, attribuere can appear in legal, rhetorical, historical, and philosophical contexts where authorship, responsibility, or source is being assigned. For example, Milites rem Ioanni attribuerunt “The soldiers attributed the matter to Ioannes.” This pattern shows the thing attributed (rem) and the person to whom it is attributed (Ioanni).

Derivatives and cognates: The verb gives rise to English derivatives such as attribute (as a verb or noun), attribution, and attributive. In Latin dictionaries, attribuere is often noted for its sense of designating origin, cause, or blame, as opposed to other verbs like ascribere or tribuere that cover related, though distinct, notions of assigning.

See also: ascribere, tribuere, attributio.