sort French · revision 16931

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la sors}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɔʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sort''' ''m'' (plural sorts)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|sors|t=lot; drawing of lots; oracle; destiny; share]], through its accusative;^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|12, 119b) the Latin word named a small wooden tablet used to answer questions put to oracles or to draw lots, for instance for magistracies.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Rey, the Petit Robert and Littré connect it, with some doubt, with [[m|la|serō|t=to join, link]] (compare [[série]]);^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) Wiktionary takes it back to [[ine-pro|*ser-|t=to bind]].^(Wiktionary) Feminine in Latin, it became masculine in French, though the feminine is found until the 16th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is a doublet of [[sorte]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|soartă]], [[it|sorte]], [[pt|sorte]], [[oc|sort]], [[ca|sort]] and [[es|suerte]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion'' of Clermont (late 10th century) has ''sort en gitad'', “cast lots” (for Christ's garments).^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' ''sorz'' already means a spell, beside ''falserie''.^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989) 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”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) ''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).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Drawing lots for the militia is recorded in 1752.^(TLFi)

+

+ 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).^(TLFi) 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).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) ''Coquin de sort !'' is in Daudet's ''Tartarin'' (1872).^(TLFi) [[sorcier]] was formed early on the Latin plural (''sorcerius'' in the Reichenau glosses).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Sort en gitad'' in the ''Passion''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – A spell, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1120 – Destiny, in the Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * 1330 – An invested capital.^(TLFi)

+ * 1546 – One's condition, in Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1609 – ''Le sort en est jeté'', in Malherbe.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – ''Il y a un sort'', in Madame de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+ * 1752 – Drawing lots for the militia.^(TLFi)

+ * 1872 – ''Coquin de sort !'', in Daudet.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|spell]], a usually harmful magic effect: ''jeter un sort'', to cast a spell, ''mauvais sort''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|fate|alt=Fate]], [[m|en|lot]], what befalls a person or group: ''s'inquiéter du sort de''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Fate, chance as a power: ''ironie du sort'', ''un coup du sort''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The drawing of lots: ''tirer au sort'', ''le sort en est jeté'', the die is cast.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Faire un sort à'' ''(familiar)'': to turn to one's advantage, make the most of.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' In exclamations: ''coquin de sort !''^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sorcier]]

+ * [[ensorceler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sorte]]

+ * [[sortir]]

+ * [[sortilège]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}