From Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta). Doublet of jod. The sense "small amount" developed in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: Eer de hemel en aarde vergaat, zal er niet één jota of één tittel vergaan van de wet.— until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law (Mt 5:18), iota being the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet.