tributary

English

Etymology

PIE word
*tréyes

From Middle English tributarie (“paying tribute”), from Latin tribūtārius, from tribūtum (“tribute”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪbjʊtəɹi/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

tributary (plural tributaries)

2. (hydrology) A natural water stream that flows into a larger river or other body of water.

   Synonym: affluent

   Antonym: distributary

3. (anatomy) A vein which drains into another vein.

   The great saphenous vein is a tributary of the femoral vein.

4. A nation, state, or other entity that pays tribute.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 259, column 2:

     An earneſt Coniuration from the King, / As England was his faithfull Tributary

Related terms

• distributary

Translations

stream which flows into a larger one

• Arabic: رَافِد m (rāfid)
• Belarusian: прыто́к m (prytók)
• Bulgarian: прито́к (bg) m (pritók)
• Catalan: afluent (ca) m
• Cherokee: ᏫᎦᏬᏥᎯᎲ (wigawotsihihv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 支流 (zh) (zhīliú)

• Czech: přítok (cs) m
• Danish: biflod (da) c
• Dutch: zijrivier (nl) m or f
• Esperanto: alfluanto
• Faroese: tvørá f, hjáá f
• Finnish: sivujoki (fi)
• French: affluent (fr) m
• German: Nebenfluss (de) m, Zufluss (de) m
• Hebrew: יוּבַל (he) m (yuvál)
• Icelandic: þverá f, aðrennslisá f
• Irish: fo-abhainn f, craobh-abhainn f
• Italian: affluente (it) m, tributario (it) m, immissario (it) m
• Japanese: 支流 (ja) (しりゅう, shiryū)
• Korean: 지류(支流) (ko) (jiryu)
• Latvian: ieteka f
• Luxembourgish: Niewefloss m
• Macedonian: притока f (pritoka)
• Manx: crouw f, crouw-awin f, fo-hrooan m
• Maori: kautawa
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bielv m or f, sideelv m or f

  Nynorsk: sideelv f

• Polish: dopływ (pl) m
• Portuguese: afluente (pt) m
• Romanian: afluent (ro) m
• Russian: прито́к (ru) m (pritók)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: приток m, притока f

  Roman: pritok (sh) m, pritoka (sh) f

• Slovak: prítok m
• Slovene: pritok m
• Spanish: afluente (es) m
• Swedish: biflod (sv) c
• Thai: แคว (th) (kwɛɛ)
• Tok Pisin: hanwara
• Ukrainian: прито́ка f (prytóka)
• Vietnamese: phụ lưu

nation, state etc.

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 進貢國／进贡国 (jìngòngguó), 附庸國／附庸国 (zh) (fùyōngguó), 屬國／属国 (zh) (shǔguó)

• Dutch: vazalstaat (nl) m
• Finnish: vasallivaltio (fi)
• Georgian: მოხარკე (moxarḳe)
• Italian: vassallo (it) m
• Japanese: 属国 (ja) (ぞっこく, zokkoku)
• Romanian: tributar (ro) m
• Russian: да́нник (ru) m (dánnik)
• Spanish: tributario (es) m

Adjective

tributary (not comparable)

1. Related to the paying of tribute.
2. subordinate; inferior
   • 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:

     to grace his tributary gods

3. Yielding supplies of any kind; serving to form or make up, a greater object of the same kind, as a part, branch, etc.; contributing.

   The Ohio has many tributary streams, and is itself tributary to the Mississippi.

Derived terms

• tributary load
• tributary state

 

Related terms

• tribute

Translations

related to the paying of tribute

• Finnish: suojelu- (fi)
• Italian: tributario (it) m
• Spanish: tributario (es)

subordinate, inferior — see subordinate,‎ inferior

yielding supplies of any kind

• Finnish: tukeva (fi), avustava (fi); sivu- (fi)
• Spanish: contribuyente (es)