BharatNotes Tributary
noun; adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
Effective river-basin governance requires that every tributary be treated not as a peripheral channel but as an integral artery of the watershed, since the pollution or over-abstraction of even a minor feeder stream ultimately degrades the health of the entire river system.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
tributaries (n pl), tribute (n), tributary (adj), contributory (adj, cognate), distribute (v, cognate)
Root
Latin tribūtum = tribute; tribuere = to assign, divide among tribes; tribus = tribe; -ary = noun/adj suffix
Etymology
From Latin tribūtārius ("paying tribute"), from tribūtum ("tribute"), from tribuere ("to assign, divide among tribes"), from tribus ("tribe").
Memory Hook
Think TRIBUTE: a tributary "pays its tribute" of water into the larger river, just as a subject state once paid tribute to its overlord — both contribute their share to something greater.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2016 — Indian Rivers
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Tributary” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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