entry
sort
/sɔːrt/A kind, category, arrangement, or act of classifying
From Proto-Indo-European, through Latin and Old French *ser- (To line up).
from PIE root *ser- (2) "to line up." The sense evolution in Vulgar Latin is
from Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from PIE root *ser- (2) "to line up." The sense evolution in Vulgar Latin is
from Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French sorte "class, kind,"
+1 more sourcePicture an ancient lot-drawing ceremony: objects, people, or strips of marked material being lined up so fate could decide who received what. Latin sors meant both the “lot” assigned to someone and that person’s resulting fate, share, rank, or category—a surprisingly efficient linguistic bundle. By the late fourteenth century, Old French sorte had crossed into Middle English as sort, while its darker cousin sorcery preserved the idea of someone trying to influence fate through lots. The verb came through Old French sortir, “to allot” or “sort,” and eventually produced the modern computing sense of arranging data in sequence, attested by 1958. And although sort is related to assort and consort, it is not related to resort; that apparently obvious family resemblance is a linguistic false alarm. Whenever you sort files, people, or ideas, you are quietly reenacting an ancient ritual of lining things up and letting order decide their fate.
The Story
Picture an ancient lot-drawing ceremony: objects, people, or strips of marked material being lined up so fate could decide who received what. Latin sors meant both the “lot” assigned to someone and that person’s resulting fate, share, rank, or category—a surprisingly efficient linguistic bundle. By the late fourteenth century, Old French sorte had crossed into Middle English as sort, while its darker cousin sorcery preserved the idea of someone trying to influence fate through lots. The verb came through Old French sortir, “to allot” or “sort,” and eventually produced the modern computing sense of arranging data in sequence, attested by 1958. And although sort is related to assort and consort, it is not related to resort; that apparently obvious family resemblance is a linguistic false alarm. Whenever you sort files, people, or ideas, you are quietly reenacting an ancient ritual of lining things up and letting order decide their fate.
Modern Usage
A notably attractive person, especially in British slang
Kin & Kindred
From '*ser-'·To line up; a lot or allotted share
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary