Attribution
/ˌæt.rɪˈbjuː.ʃən/noun
The act of identifying the creator, source, or cause of something.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, attribuere, was used for formally assigning property, duties, or qualities—making attribution historically an act of social and legal power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tréyes
“Three; the reconstructed root behind Latin words connected with groups of three.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
tribus
“A tribe or one of the original three Roman tribal divisions.”
Classical Latin
Latin
attribuere
“To assign, allot, or ascribe something to someone; literally, to assign toward or to.”
Late Latin
Latin
attributio
“An assigning, attribution, or formal ascription.”
Middle French
Old French
attribution
“The act of assigning or ascribing something.”
15th Century
English
attribution
“The act of attributing or assigning a quality, work, or responsibility.”
Modern English
English
attribution
“Identification of the creator, source, or cause of something.”