distributum

Distributum is a Latin noun, neuter singular, derived from the perfect passive participle distributus of the verb distribuere. It denotes “that which has been distributed” or “an allotment, portion,” and serves as a substantive in legal, administrative, or economic contexts. The root is dis- (apart) + tribuere (to assign, grant). The term appears in classical and late antique Latin to refer to items that have been allotted to individuals or communities, such as land or payments; it is typically understood as the object resulting from distribution rather than the act itself.

The act of distributing is more commonly expressed by distributio, while distributum designates the thing that has been distributed. In editorial and philological texts, distributum is used to indicate the portion granted or assigned within a larger fiscal, legal, or communal framework. In medieval and early modern Latin, it can appear in charters, decrees, and accounting excerpts as a marker of an allotment or stipend that has been issued.

In modern scholarship, distributum is mainly of interest as a linguistic and historical term, illustrating how Latin forms nouns from verb meanings. It does not function as a specialized technical term with a broad, defined sense beyond its ordinary meaning of “that which has been distributed.”

See also: distributio, distributiva, distribution.