# oft
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English oft (also ofte, often > Modern English often), from Old English oft (“often”), from Proto-West Germanic *oftu, *oftō, from Proto-Germanic *uftō (“often”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian oafte (“oft, often”), West Frisian oft, ofte (“oft, often”), Dutch oft (“oft, often”), German oft (“oft, often”). More at often.

### Pronunciation

* (General American) IPA: /ɔft/, enPR: ôft
* (cot–caught merger) IPA: /ɑft/, enPR: ŏft
* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ɒft/, enPR: ŏft
* Rhymes: -ɒft
* Audio (US):(file)

### Adverb

oft (comparative ofter, superlative oftest)
* (chiefly poetic, dialectal, and in combination) often; frequently; not rarely
    An oft-told tale
** c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:What I can do, can do no hurt to try: Since you ſet up your reſt 'gainſt remedy: He that of greateſt works is finiſher, Oft does them by the weakeſt miniſter; So holy writ in babes hath judgment ſhown, When judges have been babes.
** 1819, George Gordon Byron, John Galt (biography), The Pophecy of Dante, Canto the Fourth, 1857, The Complete Works of Lord Byron, Volume 1, page 403,
    And how is it that they, the sons of fame, Whose inspiration seems to them to shine From high, they whom the nations oftest name, Must pass their days in penury or pain, Or step to grandeur through the paths of shame, And wear a deeper brand and gaudier chain?
** 1902, James H. Mulligan, In Kentucky, quoted in 2005, Wade Hall (editor), The Kentucky Anthology, page 203,
    The moonlight falls the softest In Kentucky; The summer days come oftest In Kentucky;

#### Usage notes

* In widespread contemporary use in combination.

#### Derived terms

* many a time and oft
* oft-mentioned
* oft-repeated
* oft-used

#### Related terms

* often

#### Translations
### Anagrams

* FOT, TOF

## Dutch
### Conjunction

oft
* Alternative form of ofte

## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German ofte, oft, uft, from Old High German ofta, ofto, oftu, from Proto-Germanic *ufta, *uftō (“often”). Cognate with Dutch oft, English oft and often.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɔft/
* Audio:(file)

### Adverb

oft (comparative öfter, superlative am öftesten)
* often
    Synonyms: dauernd, des Öfteren, fortgesetzt, gehäuft, häufig, immer wieder, laufend, mehrfach, mehrmalig, mehrmals, öfter, öfters, oftmalig, oftmals, regelmäßig, ständig, vielfach, vielmals, wiederholt, x-mal, zigmal

#### Usage notes

* The superlative is, for whatever reason, sometimes frowned upon and is predominantly replaced with am häufigsten in formal style. The comparative is also sometimes replaced with häufiger.

#### Synonyms

* (colloquial, figurative): dutzendfach, dutzendmal, hundertmal, tausendmal, millionenmal

### Further reading

* “oft” in Duden online
* “oft” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Hunsrik
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /oft/

### Adverb

oft
* often

### Further reading

* Online Hunsrik Dictionary

## Icelandic
### Etymology

From Old Norse oft (“often”) and opt (“oft, often”).

### Pronunciation

* Rhymes: -ɔft

### Adverb

oft (comparative oftar, superlative oftast)
* often
    Ég fer oft í ræktina.I often go to the gym.
    Ég er oftast í tölvunni.I spend most of my time on the computer.
    Ég hef sigrað oftar en þú!I've won oftener than you!

#### Derived terms

* oftar en ekki (“more often than not”)

## Luxembourgish
### Adverb

oft
* often

#### Synonyms

* dacks
* heefeg
* often (in many cases)

#### Synonyms

* dacks
* gemengerhand

## Old English
### Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /oft/

### Adverb

oft (comparative oftor, superlative oftost)
* often, oft
** 10th century, The Wanderer‎:Oft him ānhaga · āre gebīdeð, Metudes miltse, · þēah þe hē mōdċeariġA loner oft waits a grace for himself, Creator's mercy, even if he is sorrowful
** 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 5‎:Oft iċ wīġ sēo, frēcne feohtan.I oft see a war, a dangerous battle.

#### Antonyms

* seldan

#### Descendants

* Middle English: ofte, oft
** English: oft, often
** Scots: aft, aften

## Old Norse
### Alternative forms

* opt

### Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

### Adverb

oft
* often

#### Descendants

* Icelandic: oft
* Swedish: ofta
* Norwegian: ofte

## Old Saxon
### Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

### Adverb

oft
* often

#### Descendants

* Low German: oft

## Pennsylvania German
### Etymology

Compare German oft, English often, Swedish ofta.

### Adverb

oft
* often, frequently

#### Synonyms

* efders
* oftmols

## Romanian
### Etymology

From aht.

### Noun

oft n (plural ofturi)
* sigh