Wiktionary

aught

English edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.

Alternative forms edit

Pronoun edit

aught

  1. (archaic or dialectal) Anything whatsoever, any part.

Adverb edit

aught (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) At all, in any degree, in any respect.

References edit

Etymology 2 edit

Meaning of "zero" by confusion with naught. Used amongst those who were once called "non-U" speakers of English.

Noun edit

aught (plural aughts)

  1. Whit, the smallest part, iota.
  2. (archaic) Zero.
  3. The digit zero.
    • as the decade in years (for example, aught-nine for 1909 or 2009)
    • in gun calibers (for example, thirty-aught-six for .30-06)
Usage notes edit

The use of aught and ought to mean "zero" is very much proscribed as the word aught originally meant the opposite of naught: "anything". This may be due to misanalysis, or may simply be the result of speakers confusing the meanings of aught and naught due to similar-sounding phonemes.

Translations edit
See also edit

Etymology 3 edit

From Middle English aught (“estimation, regard, reputation”), from Old English æht (“estimation, consideration”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahtu. Cognate with Dutch acht (“attention, regard, heed”), German Acht (“attention, regard”). Also see ettle.

Noun edit

aught (uncountable)

  1. (regional) Estimation.
    In my aught.
  2. (regional) Of importance or consequence (in the phrase "of aught").
    An event of aught.
  3. (regional, rare, obsolete) Esteem, respect.
    A man of aught (a man of high esteem, an important or well-respected man).
    Show some aught to your elders, boy.
Usage notes edit

In the first sense, generally found in the phrase "in one's aught" as inː "In my aught, this play ain't worth the candle". In the second sense, generally found in the phrase "of aught" as inː "nothing of aught has happened since you've been away, Sir". In the third sense, generally found in the phrase "a man of aught", or rarely in the more archaic phrase "to show somebody or something (some) aught" as inː "show your mother some aught, son".

References edit

Etymology 4 edit

Originally the past tense of owe.

Verb edit

aught (third-person singular simple present aughts, present participle aughting, simple past and past participle aughted)

  1. Obsolete or dialectal form of ought

Etymology 5 edit

From Middle English ahte, from Old English eahta (“eight”). More at eight.

Numeral edit

aught

  1. Obsolete or dialectal form of eight.

Anagrams edit

Yola edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English aught, from Old English āht, ōht, shortening of āwiht, ōwiht.

Alternative forms edit

Pronoun edit

aught

  1. any, anything
    • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:
      Geeth hea aught?
      Doth he get any or anything?

References edit

  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 23

Etymology 2 edit

Numeral edit

aught

  1. Alternative form of ayght (“eight”)
    Numbers: oan, twye, dhree, vowre, veeve, zeese, zeven, aught, ween, dhen.

References edit

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