Where does “often” come from?

Often comes from Middle English often, from Middle English ofte, from Old English oft, from Proto-Germanic ufta.

often (English): Frequently, many times; Frequent

Definitions

  1. Frequently, many times; Frequent

Ancestry of “often”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishoftenrepeatedly, again and again, many times, frequently
2Middle Englishofteoft, often
3Old Englishoftoften
4Old High Germanoftu—
5Proto-Germanicuftōoft; often

Words derived from “often”

Every word from Proto-Germanic uftō →