lot English · revision 1798

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 800 (Corpus Glossary)|origins=gem-pro *hlutą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /lɒt/ ''(UK)''; /lɑːt/ ''(US)''^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|lot]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[inh|ang|hlot|t=an object used to decide someone's share; what falls to a person by lot]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(SOED 2002) from [[gem-pro|*hlutą]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) related to the strong verb [[m|ang|hlēotan|t=to cast lots, obtain by lot]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Chambers 2008) Its cognates include [[ofs|hlot]], [[osx|hlōt]], [[nl|lot]], [[goh|hlōz]] (modern [[de|Los]]), [[non|hlutr|t=lot, share]] and [[got|𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍄𐍃|tr=hlauts]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Etymonline calls the whole group of unknown origin;^(Etymonline) Barnhart and Klein connect it with a root meaning “hook, key; to close”, seen in [[grc|κλαΐς|tr=klāḯs|t=bar, key]] and perhaps [[la|claudere|t=to close]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) The Germanic word was borrowed into the Romance languages, as [[fr|lot]] and [[it|lotto]], from which English has [[lotto]] and [[lottery]].^(Etymonline)^(Weekley 1921)^(Partridge 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An object used in deciding something by chance (Old English, in the compound ''huonhlotum'' “in little portions” before 800, and as ''hlot'' in 971).^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old English ''hlot'' was often a chip of wood marked with a name; the lots were shaken in a container such as a helmet, and the one that fell out first won, hence ''to cast lots'';^(Etymonline)^(Weekley 1921) in other cases they were drawn by hand, hence ''to draw lots''.^(Etymonline) The sense “the choice resulting from casting lots” is from about 1200, and “one's share or portion in life, one's fate” from about 1300.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''To cast in one's lot with'', from the Bible (Proverbs 1:14), originally referred to sharing plunder.^(Weekley 1921)^(OED 1989) “A number of persons or things of the same kind” dates from the 1570s,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and ''a bad lot'' of a person from the 19th century.^(GDoS)^(Weekley 1921) The sense “a plot of land” is first recorded in the 1630s in American English,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from land originally assigned by lot;^(HTOED)^(Weekley 1921) Bartlett noted in 1848 that the use was peculiar to the United States.^(Bartlett 1848) An item or set of items sold at auction dates from the early 18th century,^(Hoad 1986)^(HTOED) and the informal sense “a great many, a good deal”, especially ''a lot of'' and ''lots of'', from about 1811.^(Barnhart 1988)^(HTOED)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 800 – Old English ''huonhlotum'', in little portions.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 971 – ''hlot'', an object used to decide by chance.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – the choice made by lot.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1300 – one's portion in life, fate.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1530s – ''to cast one's lot with''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1570s – a number of persons or things of the same kind.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1633 – a plot of land (North America).^(Barnhart 1995)^(HTOED)

+ * 1710 – a set of things; a quantity.^(HTOED)

+ * 1791 – ''the lot'', the whole number.^(HTOED)

+ * 1811 – ''lots of'', a great quantity.^(HTOED)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An object such as a straw or slip of paper drawn or cast to decide something by [[chance]]; the use of such objects: ''chosen by lot''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # One's portion in life; [[fate]] or fortune.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A piece of land with fixed boundaries: ''a parking lot''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Black's Law 2004)

+ # An item or set of items sold together, especially at [[auction]].^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # ''(informal)'' A group of people or things: ''an angry lot''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' Kind or type: ''a bad lot''.^(AHD)^(GDoS)

+ # A motion-picture studio and its grounds.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(informal)'' '''A lot''' or '''lots''', a large number or amount: ''a lot of people''.^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(informal)'' '''A lot''' or '''lots''', a great deal; much: ''feels a lot better''.^(COED 2004)^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To divide (land) into lots; to [[allot]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[lotter]]

+ * [[lottery]]

+ * [[feedlot]]

+ * [[interlot]]

+ * [[sandlot]]

+ * [[sublot]]

+ * [[job lot]]

+ * [[odd lot]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[allot]]

+ * [[lotto]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House lists ''part'' and ''quota'' as synonyms of the sense “share”, ''plot'' and ''parcel'' of the sense “piece of land”, and ''group'', ''crowd'' and ''gang'' of the sense “a number of people”.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}