may

Question

English - Pronunciation

enPR: mā, IPA^(key): /meɪ/
Rhymes: -eɪ

English - Etymology 1

From Old English _magan_, from Proto-Germanic _*maganą_, from Proto-Indo-European _*magʰ_, _*megʰ_. Cognate with Dutch _mogen_, Low German _mögen_, German _mögen_, Swedish _må_, Icelandic _mega_, _megum_. See also _might_. VERB MAY (_third-person singular simple present_ MAY, _present participle_ -, _simple past_ MIGHT, _past participle_ -) * (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). [8th-17th c.] * (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. [8th-17th c.] * 1621, Robert Burton, _The Anatomy of Melancholy_, II.3.6: But many times […] we give way to passions we MAY resist and will not. * (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. [from 9th c.] * 1600, William Shakespeare, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, III.3: 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 […]. * (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. [from 9th c.] _you MAY smoke outside; MAY I sit there?_ * (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. [from 13th c.] _he MAY be lying; Schrödinger's cat MAY or MAY NOT be in the box_ * (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). [from 16th c.] _MAY you win; MAY the weather be sunny_ * 1974, Bob Dylan, Forever Young 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 * Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark. * Prior How old MAY Phillis be, you ask. USAGE NOTES * _MAY_ is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of _to be allowed to_ are used to replace these missing tenses. * The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of _MAY_ is _might_ * The present tense is negated as _MAY_ _not_, which can be contracted to _mayn't_, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as _might_ _not_, which can be contracted to _mightn't_. * _MAY_ has archaic second-person singular present indicative forms _mayest_ and _mayst_. * Usage of this word in the sense of _possibly_ is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense _have permission to_. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word _might_ instead. * Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word _MAY_, as in _Have a great day!_ rather than _May you have a great day_. SYNONYMS * (have permission to): can, could, might * (possibly): could, might * (in subjunctive): might DERIVED TERMS TRANSLATIONS SEE ALSO * Appendix:English tag questions

From Old English magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *magʰ, *megʰ. Cognate with Dutch mogen, Low German mögen, German mögen, Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

Verb

may (third-person singular simple present may, present participle -, simple past might, past participle -)

(obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). [8th-17th c.]
(obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. [8th-17th c.]
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.6:
  
  But many times […] we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
(intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. [from 9th c.]
- 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:
  
  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 […].
(modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. [from 9th c.]

you may smoke outside; may I sit there?
(modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. [from 13th c.]

he may be lying; Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box
(subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). [from 16th c.]

may you win; may the weather be sunny
- 1974, Bob Dylan, Forever Young
  
  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
Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
- Prior
  
  How old may Phillis be, you ask.

Usage notes

May is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of to be allowed to are used to replace these missing tenses.
The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of may is might
The present tense is negated as may not, which can be contracted to mayn't, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as might not, which can be contracted to mightn't.
May has archaic second-person singular present indicative forms mayest and mayst.
Usage of this word in the sense of possibly is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word might instead.
Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word may, as in Have a great day! rather than May you have a great day.

English - Etymology 2

French mai, so called because it blossoms in May.

Noun

may (plural mays)

The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

Derived terms

Italian may
mayhaw

Translations

Verb

may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)

To gather may.
- 1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems, VII, lines 1-2
  
  In valleys green and still / Where lovers wander maying

Statistics

English - Anagrams

Amy, MYA, Mya, mya, yam

Azeri - Noun

may

May

Crimean Tatar - Noun

may

butter, oil

Declension

Synonyms

yağ

Kurdish - Noun

may m

intervention

Derived terms

mayê xwe tê dan
maytêder
maytêderî
maytêker
maytêkerî
mayê xwe tê kirin

Mapudungun - Adverb

may (using Raguileo Alphabet)

yes

Mapudungun - References

Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.