Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oft” come from?

Oft comes from Old English oft, from Proto-Germanic ufta, of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.

oft (English): often; frequently; not rarely

Definitions

  1. often; frequently; not rarely

Ancestry of “oft”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishoft—
2Old Englishoftoften
3Old High Germanoftu—
4Proto-Germanicuftōoft; often

Words derived from “oft”

  • ofttimes
Every word from Proto-Germanic uftō →