aught

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: ôt, IPA^(key): /ɔːt/
• Rhymes: -ɔːt
• enPR: ôt, IPA^(key): /ɔt/
• enPR: ät, IPA^(key): /ɑt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English aught, ought, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English āht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at aye, wight.

Alternative forms

• ought

Pronoun

aught

1. anything whatsoever, any part.
   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene ii^[1]:

     [...] wouldst thou aught with me?

   • (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     But go, my son, and see if aught be wanting.

   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London, Oxford University Press, 1973. § 29.

     […] to other objects, which for aught we know, may be only in appearance similar.

   • 1886-88, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night:

     But as soon as her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that which had occurred […]

   • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, chapter 5

     His life among these fierce apes had been happy; for his recollection held no other life, nor did he know that there existed within the universe aught else than his little forest and the wild jungle animals with which he was familiar.

   • 1977: J. R. R. Tolkien, Silmarillion, Ainulindalë

     There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made.

Etymology 2

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

Noun

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.

Usage notes

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

Translations

zero

• Bulgarian: ну́ла (bg) f (núla)
• German: Nichts (de) n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: zero (pt)
• Russian: ноль (ru) m (nolʹ), нуль (ru) m (nulʹ)

See also

• naught
• owt

Adverb

aught (not comparable)

1. (archaic) At all, in any degree, in any respect.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, act 5 scene 1

     [...] and if your love

     Can labour aught in sad invention,

     Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,

     And sing it to her bones [...]

References

• “aught”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Etymology 3

From Middle English aught (“estimation, regard, reputation”), from Old English æht (“estimation, consideration”), from Proto-Germanic *ahtō. Cognate with (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch acht (“attention, regard, heed”), German Acht (“attention, regard”). Also see ettle.

Noun

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

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

• www.duden.de - Acht
• The Middle English Dictionary
• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Etymology 4

(deprecated template usage)

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English aught, ought, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English ǣht, from Proto-Germanic *aihtiz (“possessions, property”).

Alternative forms

• ought

Noun

aught (plural aughts)

1. Property; possession

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Scott to this entry?)

2. Duty; place; office

Verb

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

1. to own, possess
2. to owe, be obliged or obligated to

Adjective

aught (comparative more aught, superlative most aught)

1. possessed of

Etymology 5

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English ahte, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English eahta (“eight”). More at eight.

Numeral

aught

1. Obsolete or dialectal form of eight.

Anagrams

• ghaut