'applotment' originates from English, formed from the obsolete verb 'applot' plus the nominal suffix '-ment'; 'applot' itself appears to combine a variant prefix 'ap-' (related to Latin ad-, meaning 'to' or 'toward') with 'plot' meaning 'a small piece of ground'.

'applotment' developed in Middle/Early Modern English usage as a technical term in agricultural and legal records for dividing land; over time it remained chiefly a specialized or regional term rather than becoming common modern usage.

Initially, it referred specifically to dividing land into plots or allotments; over time its use broadened in some contexts to mean general apportionment or allocation, though it has remained relatively rare and somewhat archaic.