Where does “mayn” come from?

mayn (Middle English) comes from Old English mæġen, from Proto-Germanic maginą, from Proto-Indo-European mēgh- — to be able.

mayn (Middle English): Strongness or physical capability; Governmental...

Definitions

  1. Strongness or physical capability; Governmental...

Ancestry of “mayn”, step by step

mayn traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English mæġen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishmæġenmight, main; strength
2Proto-Germanicmaginąability, power, might, main
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmēgh-to be able

via Russian Майн

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1RussianМайн—
2GermanMain—
3LatinMoenisThe river Main

via Old Norse megn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsemegn—

Words derived from “mayn”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēgh- →Every word from Proto-Germanic maginą →Every word from Old English mæġen →