lota

From Hindi लोटा (loṭā) / Urdu لوٹا (loṭā). (person who switches loyalties): From the fact that the lota pot has a tendency to fall over and roll around, as it is not stable sitting on its base.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊtə/
• Rhymes: -əʊtə

lota (plural lotas)

1. (South Asia) A spherical pot, specifically a water pot used for washing and ablution, typically made of brass.
   • 1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold, HarperCollins, published 2013, page 9:

     She had been standing behind the curtain of coloured glass beads for at least half an hour now, waiting patiently with a silver lota of water.

2. (Pakistani politics) A person who switches loyalties, especially from one political party to another, engaging in lotacracy.

• ATOL, Alto, Toal, a lot, alot, alto, alto-, atlo-, talo-, tola

From Proto-Bantu *-dóota.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɽo.ta/

-lota (infinitive kulóta)

1. to dream

• loto (“dream”)
• mlota (“divination”)

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔtaː/

Unadapted borrowing from Sranan Tongo lota, probably from Kongo l-óoti / lôta / lôte / lotia, Yombe lootyá / lóota ("squamous skin disease").

• lotta, lottah

lota m (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. (Suriname) tinea versicolor (a skin condition causing discoloured patches)

From Caribbean Hindustani lotá, from Hindi लोटा (loṭā) / Urdu لوٹا (loṭā), possibly via Bhojpuri [Term?].

lota m (plural lota's, diminutive lotaatje n)

1. (chiefly Suriname) lota (a spherical brass pot)

lota

1. land
2. earth; soil

lota f (genitive singular lotu, nominative plural lotur)

1. round (stage or set of events in a game or competition)
2. (tennis) set

• “lota” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

• IPA^(key): /ˈl̪ˠot̪ˠə/^[1]

From Middle English lot, from Old English hlot (“portion, choice, decision”), from Proto-Germanic *hlutą.

lota m (genitive singular lota, nominative plural lotaí)

1. lot (plot of land)

   Synonyms: gabháltas, paiste

lota m (genitive singular lota, nominative plural lotaí)

1. alternative form of lochta (“loft; gallery”)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

lota

1. vocative plural of lot

lota

1. analytic present subjunctive of lot

lota

1. past participle of lot

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “lota”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “lota”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 678; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “lota”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “lota”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “lota”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

lota

1. to dream

lōta

1. inflection of lōtus:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

lōtā

1. ablative feminine singular of lōtus

lota

1. to dream

lota

1. sap (of a plant)

• Rhymes: -ɔtɐ
• Hyphenation: lo‧ta

lota f (plural lotas)

1. fish market

lota

1. inflection of lotar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “lota”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “lota”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

lotà

1. soil; earth; ground

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /ˈlota/ [ˈlo.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ota
• Syllabification: lo‧ta

lota f (plural lotas)

1. burbot

• “lota”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Probably from Kongo l-óoti / lôta / lôte / lotia, Yombe lootyá / lóota ("squamous skin disease").^[1]

• IPA^(key): /lota/, [lʊ̞ta̠], [lɔ̝tɑ̟]

lota

1. tinea versicolor (a skin condition causing discoloured patches)

• Saramaccan: lontá
• → Dutch: lotta, lota

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *-dóota.

-lota (infinitive kulota)

1. to dream

• loto (“dream”)

• William Y. Turner (1996), Tumbuka/Tonga-English and English - Tumbuka/Tonga Dictionary‎^[1], Central Africana Limited, pages 66, 196