'often-shown' is a compound word formed from 'often' and 'shown'. 'Often' originates from Old English 'oft', meaning 'frequently', and 'shown' is the past participle of 'show', which comes from Old English 'sceawian', meaning 'to look at'.

'Often' evolved from Old English 'oft' and 'shown' from 'sceawian', eventually forming the modern compound 'often-shown'.

Initially, 'often' meant 'frequently', and 'shown' meant 'to display'. The compound 'often-shown' retains these meanings, indicating something frequently displayed.