Where does “might-be” come from?
might-be (English) comes from English might, from Old English meahte, from Old English maġan, from Proto-West Germanic magan, from Proto-Germanic maganą, from Proto-Indo-European (me)mógʰe, from Proto-Indo-European megʰ- — to be able.
might-be (English): That might be or occur; possible; potential;...
Definitions
- That might be or occur; possible; potential;...
Ancestry of “might-be”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | might | Power, strength, force or influence held by a... |
| 2 | Old English | meahte | past subjunctive of maġan |
| 3 | Old English | maġan | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | magan | to be able, may |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maganą | to be able, may |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (me)mógʰe | to have power, to be able to |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |