Where does “may” come from?
may (English) comes from Middle English mowen, from Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.
may (English): To be strong; to have power; To be able; can; To...
Definitions
- To be strong; to have power; To be able; can; To...
Ancestry of “may”, step by step
may traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English mowen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mowen | To be strong or powerful; To be able to; to have... |
| 2 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 4 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 5 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via Middle English mayen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mayen | Alternative form of mowen |
| 2 | Old English | magan | can, to be able |
via Middle English moȝen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | moȝen | Alternative form of mowen |