Where does “mag” come from?
mag (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch mogen, from Middle Dutch mōgen, from Old Dutch mugan, from Proto-Germanic maganą, from Proto-Indo-European (me)mógʰe, from Proto-Indo-European megʰ- — to be able.
mag (Afrikaans): may, might; might; power
Ancestry of “mag”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | mogen | to be allowed; may, can, be allowed to; may go,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | mōgen | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | mugan | may, to be allowed to; can, to be able to |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maganą | to be able, may |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (me)mógʰe | to have power, to be able to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |