ought etymology

Etymology:

"Ought" comes from the Old English word "āhte," which is the past tense of the verb "āgan," meaning "to own" or "to have."

Meaning:

Ought is a modal verb used to express obligation, duty, or necessity. It can have the following meanings:

• Necessity or obligation: You ought to do your homework.
• Advice or recommendation: You ought to see a doctor about that cold.
• Duty or moral responsibility: You ought to be honest with your friends.
• Expected or proper behavior: You ought to behave respectfully at the dinner table.

Origin:

The Old English word "āhte" originally meant "to possess" or "to own." Over time, it came to be used to express obligation or duty, and eventually evolved into the modern word "ought."

Usage:

Ought is often used with the infinitive form of a verb:

• You ought to finish your work by tomorrow.
• She ought to have told the truth from the beginning.

It can also be used in the past tense (ought to have) or present perfect tense (ought to have):

• You ought to have called me earlier.
• She ought to have known better than that.

Examples:

• You ought to take care of your health.
• People ought to be kind to animals.
• She ought to have apologized for her mistake.
• It ought to be raining soon.

ought relate terms

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• Luxor

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• omission

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• preposterous

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• curtail

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• muster

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