Where does “ought” come from?
Ought comes from Old English āgan, which derives from Proto-Germanic ahtōu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw meaning eight.
ought (English): simple past tense of owe; Indicating duty or...
Definitions
- simple past tense of owe; Indicating duty or...
Ancestry of “ought”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | oughte | — |
| 2 | Old English | āhte | — |
| 3 | Old English | āgan | to own, possess |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | aigan | to possess, to own, to have; own |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *aiganą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₂óyḱe | to possess, to own |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyḱ- | to possess, to own |
Words derived from “ought”