"parcel out, divide or distribute as by lots," late 15c., also alot, from Old French aloter (Modern French allotir) "to divide by lots, to divide into lots," from à "to" (see ad-) + loter "lot," a word of Germanic origin (cognates: Gothic hlauts, Old High German hloz, Old English hlot; see lot). Related: Allotted; allotting; allotter; allottee.

a misdivision of a lot (see lot (n.)), in which sense it begins to turn up in print transcripts c. 1960. It also can be an alternative spelling of allot.

1570s, "action of allotting," from French allotement, from Old French aloter "divide by lots" (see allot). Or else a native formation from allot + -ment. The meaning "that which is allotted, portion assigned to someone or some purpose" is from 1670s.

1660s, of ships, "to assign or allot anchoring ground to," from berth (n.). Of persons, "to occupy a berth" (intransitive) from 1886. Related: Berthed; berthing.

word-forming element meaning "irregular, unusual," from Greek anomos, from a- "without" (see a- (3)) + nomos "law," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take."

late 14c., "worthy of praise;" mid-15c., "permissible, not forbidden," from Old French alloable "permissible, allowable," from alloer "allot, apportion, bestow" (see allow).

1570s, Nemesis, "Greek goddess of vengeance, personification of divine wrath," from Greek nemesis "just indignation, righteous anger," literally "distribution" (of what is due), related to nemein "distribute, allot, apportion one's due," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take." The notion is "divine allotment to everyone of his share of fortune, good or bad." With a lower-case -n-, in the sense of "retributive justice," attested from 1590s. General sense of "anything by which it seems one must be defeated" is by 1930.

"lawlessness, violation of (divine) law," 1590s, Englished from French anomie, from Greek anomia "lawlessness," abstract noun from anomos "without law, lawless," from a- "without" (see a- (3)) + nomos "law" (from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take").

mid-15c., allocacion, "authorization," from Medieval Latin allocationem (nominative allocatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of allocare "allocate, allot," from assimilated form of Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + locare "to place," from locus "a place" (see locus).

c. 1300, "to transfer, convey, bequeath (property); appoint (to someone a task to be done); order, direct (someone to do something); fix, settle, determine; appoint or set (a time); indicate, point out," from Old French assigner "assign, set (a date, etc.); appoint legally; allot" (13c.), from Latin assignare/adsignare "to mark out, to allot by sign, assign, award," from ad "to" (see ad-) + signare "make a sign," from signum "identifying mark, sign" (see sign (n.)). Its original use was in legal transfers of personal property. Related: Assigned; assigning.