may en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /mei/ (Wales) without the pane–pain merger
- /mɛj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /meɪ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /mæɪ/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /me/ (Scotland)
- mā
- (California) audio monophthongized
Etymology
From Middle English magen, mauen, mawe, mawen, mayen, maȝen, mouin, mow, mowen, moȝen, mugen, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą (“to be able, may”), from Proto-Indo-European *(me)mógʰe (“to be able”), from *megʰ- (“to be able”). Cognates Cognate with Scots mey (“may”), Yola ma, maa, mai, mey, mye (“may”), North Frisian mai, mei, mooge (“like to, would”), West Frisian meie (“may; to like”), Alemannic German möge (“may; can”), Bavarian megn (“to like; to want to”), Central Franconian mugge (“to like; may”), Cimbrian mögan, möng (“may”), Dutch mogen (“to be allowed; may; to like”), German and Low German mögen (“to like; would like; may”), Yiddish מעגן (megn, “may”), Danish måtte (“have to; may”), Faroese and Icelandic mega (“may; must”), Norwegian Bokmål måtta (“may; must”), Norwegian Nynorsk måtta, måtte (“may; must”), Swedish må (“may; must”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan, “to be able, can, may”); also Irish smacht (“ordinance, regulation, rule; dominion, sway; control, discipline, restraint; fine, penalty”), Lithuanian mėgti (“to like”), Belarusian магчы́ (mahčý, “to be able”), Bulgarian мо́га (móga, “to be able”), Czech moci (“to be able”), Kashubian mòc (“to be able”), Lower Sorbian moc, móc, moz (“to be able”), Macedonian може (može, “to be able”), Pannonian Rusyn мочи (moči, “to be able”), Polish móc (“to be able”), Russian мочь (močʹ, “to be able”), Serbo-Croatian мо̏ћи, mȍći (“to be able”), Slovak môcť (“to be able; be allowed to”), Slovene moči (“to be able”), Slovincian môc (“to be able”), Ukrainian могти́ (mohtý, “to be able”), Persian مغ (moġ, “magus”), Sanskrit मघ (magha, “power, wealth; bounty, gift, reward”).
Meanings
- (intransitive, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, obsolete) To be strong; to have power (over).
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(auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, obsolete) To be able; can.
But many times[…]we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 6:
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(intransitive, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, poetic) To be able to go.
O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East, That I may backe to Athens by day-light […].
1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:
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(auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
you may smoke outside
May we request that patrons kindly take their seats.
may I sit there?
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(auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative. ▸ Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
he may be lying
A female crocodile may lay up to forty eggs. [Typical occurrence.]
Sam may be intelligent, but he isn't wise. [This speaker does not know with certainty whether Sam is intelligent, but the speaker allows the possibility.]
The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.
2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box.
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(auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative. ▸ Expressing a disjunctive or contrastive relation between indicative statements.
A: Sigh. I'm bummed that Stephen Hawking died. B: Well, he may have died, but he's still alive in our hearts. [This speaker does not doubt that Stephen has died; nonetheless, the verb inflection is not different.]
Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:You may be my boss, but that doesn't mean you can insult me.
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(defective, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, present, qualifier:chiefly solemn, subjunctive) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
Let us pray that peace may soon return to our war-torn homeland.
May I never miss the thrill of being near you
1984, “No More Lonely Nights”, performed by Paul McCartney:May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true / May you always do for others / And let others do for you / May you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / May you stay forever young
1974, Bob Dylan, “Forever Young”, in Planet Waves:may you win; may the weather be sunny; long may your reign last
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(auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.
1744 [1720], Matthew Prior, “Phillis's age”, in Joe Miller's Jests, 7th edition:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| maye | alternative | lexicographic | |
| might | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| may | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
may-fortune · may as well · come what may · may the 4th be with you · the fox may grow grey but never good · may the Force be with you · may I help you · may-fall · may I? · gods may do what cattle may not · I hope I may be shot · if I may make so bold · a cat may look at a king · mayn't · mother may I · may the Force not be with you · may well with · be it as it may · may the force be with you · may God have mercy on your soul · mayhappen · if I may be so bold · pigs may fly · may the Force be without you · formay · much good may it do someone · may-pole · may the odds be ever in your favor · those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay · what-you-may-call-it · be that as it may · hold come what may · maybe · may-issue · to those it may concern · lang may yer lum reek · mappen · one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb · as luck may have it · I wish I may be shot · devil-may-care · there may be snow on the mountaintop but there's fire in the valley · to whom this may concern · your mileage may vary · that's as may be · try as one may · be this as it may · sticks and stones may break my bones · may I pass through · whatever the case may be · your mileage may differ · may the Fourth be with you · if I may · let the dice fall where they may · it may well with · if I may say so · the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature · may chance · that is as may be · as the case may be · may well · mayhap · I may not but · may the fourth be with you · let the chips fall where they may · to whom it may concern · there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace · may you live in interesting times · may God be my witness
Synonyms
could · can · might · might · could · might · might
Translations (138)
ru да ... (subjunctive) · de Konkinktiv I (subjunctive) · gl valer (have permission to) · hu lehetséges (possibly, but not certainly) · fi saada (have permission to) · el μπορώ (have permission to) · fr se pouvoir (possibly, but not certainly) · ru мочь (have permission to) · la licet (have permission to) · ang mōtan (have permission to) · bg мога (have permission to) · la sim (have permission to) · aln muj (have permission to) · th อาจ (possibly, but not certainly) · sq mundet (possibly, but not certainly) · pl bodaj (subjunctive) · pl móc (have permission to) · eo rajti (have permission to) · ro să (subjunctive) · cmn 可以 (have permission to) · sv kan (have permission to) · he עשוי (possibly, but not certainly) · ms boleh jadi (possibly, but not certainly) · ca poder (have permission to) · pt talvez (possibly, but not certainly) · fi saattaa (possibly, but not certainly) · pl żeby (subjunctive) · ar اِسْتَطَاعَ (have permission to) · nl mogen (subjunctive) · cs nechť (subjunctive) · ja 多分 (possibly, but not certainly) · ang magan (have permission to) · la sim (possibly, but not certainly) · es tal vez (possibly, but not certainly) · no kan være (possibly, but not certainly) · de können (have permission to) · es que (subjunctive) · pl niech (subjunctive) · sq mundem (have permission to) · ms boleh (have permission to) · la possum (have permission to) · id dapat (have permission to) · el επιτρέπεται (have permission to) · gl pode ser (possibly, but not certainly) · grc ἄν (possibly, but not certainly) · pt que (subjunctive) · fa توانستن (have permission to) · es ojalá que (subjunctive) · tl puwede (possibly, but not certainly) · cmn 願 /愿... (subjunctive) · es poder ser (possibly, but not certainly) · ko 할 수 있다 (have permission to) · ja してもいい (have permission to) · de mögen (possibly, but not certainly) · fi voida (possibly, but not certainly) · ru да бу́дет (subjunctive) · el ίσως (possibly, but not certainly) · ja かも知れない (possibly, but not certainly) · hu lehet (possibly, but not certainly) · ru мо́жно (have permission to) · id mungkin (possibly, but not certainly) · cmn 可能 (possibly, but not certainly) · de dürfen (have permission to) · bg имам възможност (have permission to) · da måske (possibly, but not certainly) · es poder (have permission to) · id bisa jadi (possibly, but not certainly) · sv kunna (have permission to) · pl bogdaj (subjunctive) · nah mā (subjunctive) · el μάλλον (possibly, but not certainly) · de mögen (subjunctive) · sk smieť (have permission to) · es puede que (possibly, but not certainly) · sv må (possibly, but not certainly) · hu -hat (have permission to) · ms semoga (subjunctive) · id boleh (have permission to) · pt poder (have permission to) · pl oby (subjunctive) · tl maaari (have permission to) · no få (have permission to) · fi voida (have permission to) · wa poleur (have permission to) · id barangkali (possibly, but not certainly) · fr peut-être (possibly, but not certainly) · no må (have permission to) · la sim (subjunctive) · no kan (have permission to) · lv drīkstēt (have permission to) · id bisa (have permission to) · it potere (have permission to) · uk хай (subjunctive) · la mihi licet (have permission to) · de sollen (subjunctive) · nb måtte (subjunctive) · id bisa saja (possibly, but not certainly) · pt poder (possibly, but not certainly) · ms selamat (subjunctive) · fa شایَد (possibly, but not certainly) · fr pouvoir (have permission to) · ro se poate (possibly, but not certainly) · tl puwede (have permission to) · ms mungkin (possibly, but not certainly) · sv må (subjunctive) · cy cael (have permission to) · yue 可以 (have permission to) · nl mogen (have permission to) · uk най (subjunctive) · got 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (have permission to) · ro putea (have permission to) · vi được phép (have permission to) · yue 可能 (possibly, but not certainly) · sv kanske (possibly, but not certainly) · hu szabad (have permission to) · vi có lẽ (possibly, but not certainly) · is geta (possibly, but not certainly) · gl poder (have permission to) · yue 願 /愿... (subjunctive) · de können (possibly, but not certainly) · cs smět (have permission to) · mi kia (subjunctive) · pl możliwe, że (possibly, but not certainly) · hsb (ip) směć (have permission to) · sh dàbōgda (subjunctive) · is mega (have permission to) · pl móc (possibly, but not certainly) · da må (have permission to) · hu -j (subjunctive) · tl maaari (possibly, but not certainly) · sv få (have permission to) · sv kan (possibly, but not certainly) · uk неха́й (subjunctive) · zdj ukaya na ruhusa (have permission to) · pl niechaj (subjunctive) · fi taitaa (possibly, but not certainly) · hu -het (have permission to) · hu előfordulhat (possibly, but not certainly)