sort

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sɔʁ/^[1]

Forms

sort m (plural sorts)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin sors (“lot; drawing of lots; oracle; destiny; share”), through its accusative;^[2][3][4][5] the Latin word named a small wooden tablet used to answer questions put to oracles or to draw lots, for instance for magistracies.^[2][6] Rey, the Petit Robert and Littré connect it, with some doubt, with serō (“to join, link”) (compare série);^[2][7][8] Wiktionary takes it back to Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”).^[1] Feminine in Latin, it became masculine in French, though the feminine is found until the 16th century.^[3] It is a doublet of sorte.^[1]

Cognate with Romanian soartă, Italian sorte, Portuguese sorte, Occitan sort, Catalan sort and Spanish suerte.^[7][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion of Clermont (late 10th century) has sort en gitad, “cast lots” (for Christ's garments).^[9][7][4]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland sorz already means a spell, beside falserie.^[8][6] About 1120 it was what falls to someone's lot, one's destiny (Oxford Psalter: es tues mains les meies sorz, “my lot is in your hands”).^[9][8] Geter sort “to throw dice to decide” (about 1119) became jeter au sort (1549), later tirer au sort, and Malherbe has le sort en est jeté “the die is cast” (1609).^[9][2] Drawing lots for the militia is recorded in 1752.^[9]

It also meant a capital invested for an income (1330, sort principal in Amyot, 1559), a person's condition in life (Rabelais, 1546) and the fate of something, as in le sort des armes (1604).^[9] Madame de Sévigné has the familiar il y a un sort “there's a jinx” (1680), and mauvais sort is in Madame de Staël (1807).^[9][6] Coquin de sort ! is in Daudet's Tartarin (1872).^[9] sorcier was formed early on the Latin plural (sorcerius in the Reichenau glosses).^[3]

Timeline

• Late 10th century – Sort en gitad in the Passion.^[9]
• c. 1100 – A spell, in the Chanson de Roland.^[8]
• c. 1120 – Destiny, in the Oxford Psalter.^[9]
• 1330 – An invested capital.^[9]
• 1546 – One's condition, in Rabelais.^[9]
• 1609 – Le sort en est jeté, in Malherbe.^[9]
• 1680 – Il y a un sort, in Madame de Sévigné.^[9]
• 1752 – Drawing lots for the militia.^[9]
• 1872 – Coquin de sort !, in Daudet.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A spell, a usually harmful magic effect: jeter un sort, to cast a spell, mauvais sort.^[7][1]
2. Fate, lot, what befalls a person or group: s'inquiéter du sort de.^[7][1]
3. Fate, chance as a power: ironie du sort, un coup du sort.^[9][1]
4. The drawing of lots: tirer au sort, le sort en est jeté, the die is cast.^[1][9]
5. Faire un sort à (familiar): to turn to one's advantage, make the most of.^[6]
6. (familiar) In exclamations: coquin de sort !^[9]

Word family

• sorcier
• ensorceler

Related words

• sorte
• sortir
• sortilège

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 119b
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard