iota
UK[aɪˈəʊtə]US[aɪˈoʊtə]
n
an extremely small amount
n
the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι)
Etymology
The word 'iota' entered English in the late 16th century, directly from Latin 'iota', which itself came from Greek 'iōta', the name for the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet. This Greek term is believed to be of Semitic origin, akin to Hebrew 'yōdh'. The modern abstract meaning of "an extremely small amount" derives from a New Testament passage (Matthew 5:18) in which Jesus says, "not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law," where "jot" is a translation of 'iōta'. Thus, the literal identity of the smallest Greek letter evolved metaphorically into a symbol for any minute or insignificant quantity.
Analysis
The word is a direct borrowing from the Greek alphabet and is not productively formed from smaller morphemes in English.
Examples
There isn't an iota of truth in his statement.
The plan hasn't changed one iota since our last meeting.
The Greek letter iota corresponds to the Roman 'i'.