'often-cited' is a compound adjective formed from 'often' and the past participle 'cited' of the verb 'cite', which originates from Latin, specifically the word 'citare', meaning 'to summon or call'.

'citare' became the Old French 'citer', which entered Middle English as 'cite'. The past participle 'cited' is used with 'often' to form the compound adjective 'often-cited'.

Initially, 'cite' meant 'to summon', but over time it evolved to mean 'to quote or refer to as evidence', and 'often-cited' came to mean 'frequently referred to'.