sortire

sortire¹ to draw by lot

Pronunciation

• /sorˈti.re/^[1]

Forms

sortire (first-person singular present sortìsco, first-person singular past historic sortìi, past participle sortìto, auxiliary avére)^[1]

Etymology

The word for drawing or receiving by lot is inherited from Vulgar Latin *sortīre, the active form beside the more common deponent Latin sortīrī (“to cast lots; to obtain by lot”).^[1][2][3][4] The Latin verb is formed from sors (“lot; fate”), the source of Italian sorte.^[2][5][6] Meyer-Lübke lists the Italian verb under the active Latin form, glossed “to allot”, beside Spanish surtir and Portuguese sortir “to supply”.^[7]

The noun goes back to Proto-Italic *sortis (“joining, joint”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”), the root of serō (“to link together”).^[8][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Chiaro Davanzati, in the 13th century, with the sense “to have as one's lot, to obtain”: Ben sortisce / chi nel male conforta la sua vita (“he is well favoured by fate who comforts his life in misfortune”).^[9][10] Zingarelli dates the verb to before 1250.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Dante used it for assigning by lot or destining (1300–1313); in the Inferno Matthias is the apostle sortito, chosen by lot, for the place Judas lost.^[9][11] In the 14th century it also meant to divide by lot, as booty among raiders, and in the 16th century Ariosto used it for leaving something to chance.^[12][11] Machiavelli called happy the republic la quale sortisce uno uomo sì prudente that he gives it good laws, in the sense “has the fortune to get”.^[10][11] An old sense “to happen, befall” is also recorded.^[4][13]

The verb has stayed literary, apart from the extended sense “to obtain, to produce”, said of an effect or result.^[3][5][14]

Timeline

• 13th century – Chiaro Davanzati uses it for “to have as one's lot”.^[9]
• 1300–1313 – Dante uses it for “to assign by lot, to destine”.^[9]
• 14th century – The sense “to divide by lot” is recorded.^[12]
• 16th century – Ariosto uses it for “to leave to chance”.^[12]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To draw by lot: to pick a name or number by chance.^[3][14][15]
2. (literary) To assign by lot; to destine.^[3][14][15]
3. (literary, uncommon) To have as one's lot, to receive from nature or fate.^[3][14][15]
4. (by extension) To obtain or produce a result: Le trattative non hanno sortito nulla di concreto.^[3][14][4]

sortire² to go out

Pronunciation

• /sorˈti.re/^[1]

Forms

sortire (first-person singular present sòrto, first-person singular past historic sortìi, past participle sortìto, auxiliary èssere)^[1]

Etymology

The word for going out is borrowed from French sortir (“to go out”).^[9][2][3][1] French has the verb for “to go out” about 1155, but for “to come out by lot” only in 1664.^[9] It probably comes from Latin sortīre “to come out by lot”, which then came to mean simply “to go out”.^[9][3][4] Meyer-Lübke likewise starts from a Vulgar Latin *sortīre (“to come out”) based on sortītus (“drawn by lot”), and gives the same verb as Occitan sortir, Catalan sortir and Spanish surtir (“to spring forth”).^[7]

DEI suggests instead that the French verb was built on Latin sortus, an old past participle used for surrēctus from surgō (“to rise”).^[12] Meyer-Lübke finds this and two further proposals less likely, and Körting dismisses a derivation from exortus.^[7][16] Prati calls the origin of the French verb doubtful.^[13]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is from 1553, in the Giornale dell'assedio di Montalcino, where it is a military word for going out of a besieged place to attack the enemy.^[9][3] Zingarelli dates the verb to before 1525.^[4] DELI notes that the example of sortito that the Crusca and Tommaseo cite from an older text was forged by Francesco Redi.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The noun sortita is as old as the verb: the 1553 Montalcino diary uses it for a sally of besieged troops.^[9] It later meant a witty remark (1632), a way out (1813) and an actor's entrance on stage, first in Gaetano Donizetti (before 1848).^[9] In the 17th century the verb was used for going out in general, by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger and Redi, and DEI notes it as very common around Pisa.^[12] The GDLI quotes it in this sense from Goldoni to Italo Svevo and Vasco Pratolini.^[17]

The sense “to come out in a draw” is recorded from 1873, in Tommaseo.^[9] Today the verb is regional, mainly central Italian, for “to go out”, and is used for lottery numbers that are drawn.^[14][5][4]

Timeline

• About 1155 – French sortir “to go out” is recorded.^[9]
• 1553 – The verb and sortita appear as military words in the Giornale dell'assedio di Montalcino.^[9]
• 1632 – Sortita “witty remark” in G. F. Biondi.^[9]
• 1664 – French sortir “to come out by lot” is recorded.^[9]
• Before 1848 – Sortita “entrance on stage” in Donizetti.^[9]
• 1873 – Tommaseo records the sense “to come out in a draw”.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. (regional, central Italy) To go out, to leave a place: Mia sorella è sortita a fare la spesa.^{[3][14][5][4]}
2. Of numbers, to be drawn in a lottery or draw: Alla ruota di Napoli è sortito il 90.^[3][14][5]
3. (military, uncommon) To make a sortie against the besiegers.^[3][14][4]

Word family

• sortita