ogham, ogam (ogam)

[ alphabet, itself writing, literature, dialect so called; traditionally ascribed to inventor named Ogma, whose name is reflected in the W. ofydd (> E. ovate2 ), a man of letters or science, philosopher, and in the Gr. " Ογμιος, the name, according to Lucian, of a deity of the Gauls, represented as an old man who drew after him a crowd of followers by means of chains connecting their ears with the tip of his tongue, i. e. by power of speech: prob. (Rhys) orig. = Gr. όγμος, a straight line, a row, path, furrow, Skt. ajma, course, road, also ajman (= L. agmen, a train, army, multitude: see agmen ), William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), L. 1275. 2. Same as offtake . See the quotation there. often (ô'fn), adv . [ often , usually and orig. oft , ofte , the irreg. addition -en being due in part to the natural expansion of ofte in the compounds ofte -time, ofte-sithe, ofte - sithes , in which the first element took on an adj. semblance, with the quasi-adj. term. -en , as in often -times, often-sithes, etc. The addition may also have been due in part to a ociation with the opposite seldom , formerly also seld on , in which, as also in whilom, the term. is adverbial, orig. the suffix of the dat. pl. of nouns, many nouns in that case being used adverbially.] Many times; many a time; frequently; not seldom; not rarely: same as oft, and now the usual form. A Sergeant of Lawe, war and wys, That often hadde ben at the parvys, Ther was also, ful riche of excellence. Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. Т., 1. 310. You have sworn often That you dare credit me, and allow'd me wise, Although a woman. Fletcher , Double Marriage, i. 1. All your Friends here in Court and City are well, and often mindful of you, with a world of good Wishes. Howell, Letters, I. vi. 33. The Moors, in their blind fury, often a ailed the most difficult and dangerous places. Irving , Granada, p. 43. =Syn. Often , Frequently. Where these words differ, often is the simpler and stronger, and expre es the more regular recurrence: as, I often take that path and frequently meet him on the way. Mountains on whose barren breast The labouring clouds do often rest. Milton , L'Allegro, 1. 74. Sarcasm as a motive in Horace is not so common as we would have it; frequently , where it does become the motive, there is no intention to hurt or to be personal. Amer . Jour . Philol., VII. 262. often (ô'fn), a. [ Commonly the first attempt in any arte or engine artificiall is amendable, & in time by often experiences reformed. Putten ham , Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 47. time; He did incline to sadne e, and oft - times Not knowing why. Shak ., Cymbeline, i. 6. 62. The Spectator oft - times sees more than the Gamester. Howell , Letters, ii. 15. The Death of a King causeth oft - times many dangerous Alterations. Milton , Free Commonwealth. The pathway was here so dark that oft - times , when he lifted up his foot to set forward, he knew not where or upon what he should set it next. Bunyan , Pilgrim's Progre , p. 132. OG. See ogee. ogain, adv. An obsolete or dialectal form of again. ogak, ogac (ō'gak), n. [Eskimo.] A variety of the codfish technically called Gadus ogac. ogam, ogamic. See ogham, oghamic.