'aught' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'āwiht', where 'ā-' meant 'ever' and 'wiht' meant 'thing'.

'āwiht' changed in Middle English to forms such as 'auht'/'aught' and eventually became the modern English word 'aught'.

Initially it meant 'anything' (literally 'ever-thing'), but over time it also came to be used (by contrast with 'naught') to refer to 'zero' or 'nothing' in some contexts (e.g. 'the aughts' for years 2000–2009).