Where does “often” come from?
often (Middle English) comes from Middle English ofte, from Old English oft, from Old High German oftu, from Proto-Germanic uftō — oft; often.
Ancestry of “often”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ofte | oft, :often |
| 2 | Old English | oft | often |
| 3 | Old High German | oftu | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | uftō | oft; often |
Words derived from “often”