Definition of "sorta"

'Webb,' he says sorta sorrowful like, 'it looks like a howlin' shame to have a bang-up American girl hooked up to a money-grubbin' member of the British nobility. […] '

1912, Caspar Whitney, Albert Britt, Outing: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction, volume 60, page 680

In fact the whole thing sorta backfired on old Chuck — and on me and Pete too. Instead of laughing about it, most people thought it was pretty crummy.

1993 July, “Sort of a Hero”, in Boys' Life, page 34

He glanced at her then back at me. "What sorta research?""Well, war correspondent might not be too far off," I said.

2001, Lawrence A. Wenzel, The Sandcastle at High Tide, page 97