may

may · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*(me)mógʰe“to be able”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*maganą“to be able, may”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*magan
4. Old English · inherited frommagan
5. Middle English · inherited frommagen
6. English todaymay

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”).

may · noun, verb²

1. French · derived frommai
2. English todaymay

From French mai, so called because it blossoms in the month of May.

may · noun³

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*mēgaz“kinsman”
2. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*māg
3. Old English · inherited frommǣġ“kinswoman”
4. Middle English · inherited frommay
5. English todaymay

From Middle English may, maye (“woman, maid, girl, virgin”), from Old English mǣġ (“kinswoman”), from Proto-West Germanic *māg, from Proto-Germanic *mēgaz (“kinsman”). Related to Old English māge, mǣġe (“kinswoman”) and Old English mǣġ (“kinsman”).

May · proper noun⁴

1. Proto-Indo-European*méǵh₂sder.?
2. LatinMaia
3. LatinMaius
4. Old Frenchmai
5. Middle EnglishMay
6. English todayMay

From Middle English May, Mai, from Old French mai, from Latin Maius (“Maia's month”), from Maia, a Roman earth goddess.

May · proper noun⁵

1. Latin · derived frommedicus
2. Old English · derived frommege
3. Middle English · derived frommei“physician”
4. Old English · derived frommaga“son, relative”
5. Middle English · derived fromMay
6. English todayMay

The surname is converged from several origins: * As an English surname, from Middle English May, a pet form of Matthew (see Mayhew). * As an English, Dutch, German, Polish, and Jewish surname, from the name of the month. * Also as an English surname, occasionally a pet form of Mary or Margaret. * Also as an English surname, from the obsolete noun may (“kinsman”), from Old English maga (“son, relative”). * Also as an English surname, from obsolete Middle English mei (“physician”), a borrowing from Old English mege, from Latin medicus. See Mee. * As an Irish surname, Anglicized from Ó Miadhaigh (“descendant of Miadhach”), a name derived from miadh (“honor”). * As a French surname, shortened from Lemay, Dumay. * Also as a French surname, from a derivative of Latin Marius, similar to Mario. * As a Jewish surname, from the town Mayen in Germany. * As a Chinese surname, from 麥 /麦 (see Mai) and 梅 (méi)) (see Mei). * As an Amerindian (Mexico) surname of Mayan origin, from maay (“cloven hoof”), originally "young deer."

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 8th–17th c. To be strong; to have power (over).
• 8th–17th c. To be able; can.
• from 9th c. To be able to go.
• from 9th c. To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
• from 13th c. Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
• from 16th c. Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).