a. and sb. Obs. [f. as prec. + -ARY, after tributary. Cf. F. contributaire. A form parallel to CONTRIBUTORY, which is now in ordinary use.] A. adj.
1. That contributes or is liable to contribute; † paying tribute, tributary.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 686 (Harl. MS.). Iulius þe conquerour That wan al thoccident by land and see … And vnto Rome made hem contributarie [6-text tributarie].
1463. Bury Wills (1850), 29. Who so euere be ocupyere of my hefd place to be contributarye therto what so euer it coste.
1560. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 278. Every man … shall become contrybutary to an hird yn Port Meade.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 355. The landes contributarie to the repaire thereof.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. liv. (1739), 95. Kings having taken occasion to levy War of their own accord … could neither compel the persons of their Subjects or their Estates to be contributary.
2. Contributing anything to a common stock; having part in a common result.
1565. Golding, Ovid’s Met., VII. (1593), 158. Penees and Sperchius streames contributarie were.
1681. Whole Duty Nations, 56. Such things, so far as they may be any way contributary to good.
1775–91. trans. D’Anville’s Anc. Geog., II. 543 (Webster). It [Palibothra] was situated on the Ganges, at the place where this river received a contributary stream.
1801. W. Taylor, in Monthly Mag., XI. 648. This edition is distinguished … by the curious extent of contributary reading.
B. sb. One who contributes; one who pays tribute.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 33. Pythagoras … and many other (in certaine thinges) will be Contributaries.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXVII. xi. 635. Those all they disfranchised, and made Aerarij. or contributaries.
1598–9. E. Forde, Parismus, I. (1661), 51. The king of Persia … having called all his contributaries together.
