Iota
/aɪˈoʊtə/noun
The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, or a very small amount.
Did you know?The phrase “not one iota” comes from the Greek letter ι, whose name passed into English through the New Testament and became a symbol of the tiniest imaginable detail.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ei-
“To go or move”
Ancient Greek
Greek
iōta (ἰῶτα)
“The name of the letter ι, the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet”
Classical Greek
Greek
iōta
“Used for the smallest written mark or letter”
Koine Greek
Greek
iōta
“In the New Testament, a tiny letter or stroke in the law”
Late Latin
Latin
iota
“A borrowed Greek letter-name”
14th Century
English
iote / iota
“The Greek letter; later, a tiny amount”