Also 4 trebute, tribuyt, -uit, -it, 4–6 tribut, trybut, -e, 5 Sc. trewbut, -e. [ad. L. tribūtum, neut. of tribūtus, pa. pple. of tribu-ĕre to assign, give, pay. Cf. F. tribut (15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), and the semipopular and inherited OF. forms trebus (14th c. in Godef., Compl.) and treu: see TREW.]
1. A tax or impost paid by one prince or state to another in acknowledgement of submission or as the price of peace, security, and protection; rent or homage paid in money or an equivalent by a subject to his sovereign or a vassal to his lord.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 710. Þei … taken of ȝou tribit þat traie is to paie, Of ȝoure offringus alle ofte in þe ȝere.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 114. With-owttyne more trouflyng the trebute we aske, That Julius Cesar wane wyth his jentille knyghttes!
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxxi. 117. They of Athenes muste sende eueri yere for a trybute to the kynge Mynos of Crete … seuen men and seuen wymen.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 41 b. Germany is muche impouerished with warres … and with tributes.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 113. He … Confederates … with King of Naples To giue him Annuall tribute, doe him homage.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xvii. (1869), I. 470. A large portion of the tribute was paid in money.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVII. 503/2. Edgar … liberat[ed] the Welsh from the payment of the tax of gold and silver on condition of an annual tribute of three hundred wolves.
1872. Freeman, Gen. Sketch, xii. § 14 (1874), 225. The successes of the Turks were largely owing to their taking a tribute of children from their Christian subjects.
b. Hence contextually, The obligation or necessity of paying this; the condition of being tributary, as to lay a tribute on. Under, † on tribute: under obligation to pay tribute (also fig.: cf. 2).
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIX. 37. Wonyeth þere none But vnder tribut & taillage as tykes & cherles.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 589. Still scho duelt on trewbute in the toune, And purchest had king Eduuardis protectioune.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xii. 24. A diligent hande shal beare rule, but the ydle shal be vnder tribute.
1609. Bible (Douay), ibid. The hand … which is slothful, shal serve under tributes.
1662. Bp. Hopkins, Serm. 1 Pet. ii. 13 (1685), 4. If a fast did only lay a tribute upon our eyes.
1793. R. Hall, Apol. Freed. Press, iv. 50. His imperial fancy has laid all nature under tribute.
2. transf. and fig. Something paid or contributed as by a subordinate to a superior; an offering or gift rendered as a duty, or as an acknowledgement of affection or esteem.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., IV. xxvii. 145 b. The euils … wherof by the tribute of death, they were deliuered.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 39. His Father … having paid Nature her last Tribute … the year before.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 258. From his side two rivers flow’d,… Then meeting joyn’d thir tribute to the Sea.
1750. Gray, Elegy, 80. Some frail memorial … Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 318. The committee … also declare, that they cannot conclude their report, without returning a just tribute of acknowledgement to the illustrious author of this discovery, Dr. Jenner.
1850. Syd. Smith’s Wks., I. 8/1, note. I cannot read the name of Malthus without adding my tribute of affection for the memory of one of the best men that ever lived.
1860. Hook, Lives Abps., I. vi. 323. To the merits of Grimbald no higher tribute could have been paid.
3. In Mining (originally in the tin-mining of Cornwall; now in general use). a. The proportion of the value of the ore raised, paid by the miners to the owners or lessors of the land or their representatives. b. The proportion of ore raised or its value, paid to the miners by the owners of the mine or land, in payment of their labor. c. Hence, to work on tribute, or on the tribute system, to work on the plan of paying or receiving certain proportions of the produce. d. Work performed in excavating and dressing the ore, as distinguished from tut-work, which consists in sinking shafts, driving of adits, and similar preparatory operations.
a. 1778. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 330/1. Tribute, [called] a Cope [in] North of England, a consideration or share of the produce of a Mine either in money or kind … paid by the Takers or Tributors to the original Adventurers or owners, for the liberty granted to the Takers of enjoying the Mine, or a part thereof, called a Pitch, for a limited time.
1886. N. Zealand Herald, 1 June, 6/7. Tributes were let to several parties, whose contributions to the company during the year amounted to £153 19s. 6d. The receipts showed calls to be £1573 4s., tributers £ 153 19s. 6d., sundries (such as crushing, interest, and overdraft) £47 9s. 6d.: total, £1774 13s.
1911. C. Boyd, in United Empire, July, 393. The Tributor is a small gold-miner … paying tribute on his holding.
b. 1832. Babbage, Econ. Manuf., xxvi. (ed. 3), 252. Tribute, which is payment for raising and dressing the ore, by means of a certain part of its value when rendered merchantable.
1855. J. R. Leifchild, Cornwall Mines, 143. The ores so raised are sold every week, and the miner immediately receives his tribute or per centage for which he agreed to work.
1865. R. Hunt, Pop. Rom. W. Eng., Ser. I. (1871), 90. The inducements of very high ‘tribute’ were held out to the miners.
c. 1869. R. M. Ballantyne, Deep Down, xxviii. 359. When a man works on ‘tribute’ he receives so many shillings for every twenty shillings’ worth of ore that he raises during the month.
1875. Melbourne Spectator, 12 June, 63/2. The company pleaded that the mine was let on tribute.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 85. The Wyoming and Pittsburgh are worked on tribute.
1885. Money Market Rev., 29 Aug. (Cassell). Some twelve men are now working old dump, concentrating on tribute.
d. 1839. Penny Cycl., XV. 246/1. The dead work is denominated ‘tutwork,’ and the raising of ores ‘tribute.’ Ibid. The mode of payment adopted in tutwork and tribute is entirely different: in the former case … the miner … is paid at so much per fathom…; in the latter case … the miner receives a certain percentage on the actual value [of the ore], being paid at the rate of so many shillings in the pound upon that value.
4. attrib. and Comb., as tribute-bribe, -coin, -gatherer, -offer, -payer, -payment, -piece, -quittance, -river, -roll; in sense 3, as tribute-man, -pitch (PITCH sb.2 12), system, -taker, work; tribute-bearing, -paying adjs.; tribute-children, children surrendered as tribute. See also TRIBUTE-MONEY.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal (1673), 21. Yet in his life Paid *tribute-bribes to his own conscious wife.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 332. Far the greatest part of these *tribute children, taken from their Christian parents,… hee caused to be dispersed into euery city and country of his dominion in Asia.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 510, margin. The Iemoglans, or tribute-children.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Matt. xxii. 19. Shew me the *tribute coine. And they offred him a penie.
1552. Huloet, *Trybute gatherer, telo.
1649. Milton, Eikon., iv. They had stoned his tribute-gatherer.
1839. De la Beche, Rep. Geol. Cornw., etc., xv. 503. It seems they worked in different parties … like the *tribute-men of the mines.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. xvii. Fair streames … let the *tribute-offer of my teares unto you, procure your stay a while with me.
1552. Huloet, *Trybute payer, stipendarius,… tributarius.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 60. From what countrey soeuer tribute payers, or ambassadours come vnto him.
1860. J. Cairns, Mem. J. Brown, vi. 186. The true Christian doctrine of civil obedience and *tribute paying.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., I. iii. Is our embassadour dispatcht for Spaine?… And *tribute paiment gone along with him?
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 101. Whether these *tribute-pieces were coined by the Romans … I may not easily affirme.
1778. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 189. A *Tribute-Pitch consists of a few fathoms in length on the course of the Lode [in a Copper Mine].
1865. R. Hunt, Pop. Rom. W. Eng., Ser. I. (1871), 105. She was promised no end of good luck … and Jan the best luck in tribute-pitches.
1819. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., II. iii. Indus and its *tribute rivers.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. IV. Captaines, 119. A thousand Streamlings that ne’er saw the Sun, With *tribute silver to his service run.
1872. R. B. Smyth, Mining Statist., 83. There does not appear any very good reason why prospecting ventures should not, as a rule, be established on the *tribute system.
1883. Encycl. Brit., XVI. 449/2. The third method is that which is known as the tribute system. The miner working on tribute … gives the mining company all the ore he extracts at a certain proportion of its value, after he has paid all the cost of breaking it, hoisting it to the surface, and dressing it.
1778. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 189. A *Tribute-Taker, as well as every other Miner in a Bal, obliges himself and partners to lend a hand gratis at the capstan whenever required.
1874. J. H. Collins, Metal Mining, 127. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different forms of ‘tut work’ as compared with *‘tribute work?’
