orfen

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɔːfən/
  • Homophone: orphan
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)fən

Adverb

orfen (comparative more orfen, superlative most orfen)

  1. (Britain, dated) Eye dialect spelling of often, representing Britain English.
    • 1876, LADY BARKER, EDITOR, evening hours
      Sometimes they sets theirselves alight, but not orfen, for it aint much o' a fire aunt leaves in.
    • 1887, The English illustrated magazine [ed. by J. W. C. Carr].
      Jack's uncommon fond o' theayters, and singing and acting and such like, and as he can't very orfen get the money to pay for 'arf-price in the gallery he follers about all the people as performs in the streets, sometimes for hours an' hours together.
    • 1903, The Royal Magazine
      He's rarther an ass, but not a bad chap reely, he gives us tips sumtimes but not orfen enuff.

Usage notes

/ɔːfən/ was formerly a common pronunciation of often in many British dialects – the homophony with orphan is an important plot point in Pirates of Penzance, for example. This pronunciation is now largely obsolete and remains only in occasional use by older Received Pronunciation speakers.[1]

References

Anagrams

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