What does lota mean?
A lota is a traditional Indian unit of weight equal to 10 pounds, or approximately 4.5 kilograms. It was used particularly in contexts where goods, commodities, or quantities of produce were weighed and priced in traditional units. The term is now uncommon in everyday international English and is most likely to appear in older Indian documents, accounts, and descriptions of historical commerce. It should not be confused with the much more familiar word lot, which can indicate a large quantity, an allotted portion, or an individual item or group of goods offered for sale at auction. Although the measurement it names has largely been replaced by standardized metric and international units, a lota preserves the commercial practices of a period when local systems of weight played a central role in trade.
nounA former Indian unit of weight equal to 10 pounds, approximately 4.5 kilograms.
- A traditional Indian unit of weight equal to 10 pounds.
"The merchant sold the cloth by the lota rather than by the yard."
"Her grandfather still remembered prices quoted in lotas."
"The old ledger records one lota of cotton as equivalent to ten pounds."
The plural is used when referring to multiple units of the traditional Indian weight.
"The warehouse ledger lists several lotas of spices."
Before kilograms became standard, a lota carried the weight of ten pounds—an everyday reminder that measurement systems once varied widely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lota come from?
The English word lota is borrowed from Hindi लोटा (lōṭā), the name of a traditional unit of weight. The borrowing reflects the historical use of Indian commercial and measurement systems within English-language trade and administration.
Related word forms
How lota is actually used
This is chiefly a historical or regional unit encountered in older Indian trade, commerce, and records. In modern international usage, kilograms and pounds are far more common.
Easily confused with lota
A lota is a traditional unit of weight, whereas a lot is a quantity, an allotted share, or an item or group offered at auction.