Etymograph

English

lotto

Lotto comes from Italian lotto ‘lottery’, from Proto-Germanic *hlutą ‘fate’, and ultimately from *hleutaną ‘to cast lots’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hleutaną1‘to cast lots’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hlutą2‘fate’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*hlot2reconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lot2
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentlotto3‘lottery’
  6. Englishtodaylotto3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *hlutą
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Italian lotto
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English lotto

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hleutanąWiktionary, Proto-Germanic *hlutą‘to cast lots’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hlutąWiktionary, Italian lotto‘fate’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*hlotWiktionary, Italian lottoreconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lotWiktionary, Italian lotto
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentlottoWiktionary, English lotto‘lottery’
  6. EnglishtodaylottoWiktionary, English lotto

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *hlutą ‘fate’

lot

through Italian lotto ‘lottery’

lottery

Today it means

noun a game of chance similar to bingo

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “lotto”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Germanic *hlutą, Italian lotto. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *hleutaną / lotto

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