# may
## English
### Pronunciation

* enPR: mā, IPA: /meɪ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪ
* Homophones: May, Mei

### Etymology 1

From Middle English mowen, mayen, moȝen, maȝen, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-.
Cognate with Dutch mag (“may”, first- and third-person singular of mogen (“to be able to, be allowed to, may”)), Low German mögen, German mag (“like”, first- and third-person singular of mögen (“to like, want, require”)), Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

#### Alternative forms

* (obsolete) maye

#### Verb

may (third-person singular simple present may, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)
* (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). [8th–17th c.]
* (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. [8th–17th c.]
** 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 6:But many times […] we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
* (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. [from 9th c.]
** 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East, That I may backe to Athens by day-light […].
* (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. [from 9th c.]
    Synonyms: can, could, might
    you may smoke outside;   may I sit there?
* (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative.
** (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. [from 13th c.]
    Synonyms: could, might
    he may be lying;   Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box
    Sam may be intelligent, but he isn't wise. [This speaker does not know with certainty whether Sam is intelligent, but the speaker allows the possibility.]
*** 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.
** (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a disjunctive or contrastive relation between indicative statements.
    Synonym: might
    Sam may be intelligent, but he isn't wise. [This speaker is certain that Sam is intelligent; nonetheless, the verb inflection is not different.]
    A: Sigh. I'm bummed that Stephen Hawking died. B: Well, he may have died, but he's still alive in our hearts. [This speaker does not doubt that Stephen has died; nonetheless, the verb inflection is not different.]
*** 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
* (subjunctive present, defective, chiefly poetic) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). [from 16th c.]
    Synonym: might
    may you win;  may the weather be sunny
** 1974, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Forever Young”, in Planet Waves:May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true / May you always do for others / And let others do for you / May you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / May you stay forever young
** 1984, “No More Lonely Nights”, performed by Paul McCartney:May I never miss the thrill of being near you
* Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
** 1744 [1720], Matthew Prior, “Phillis's age”, in Joe Miller's Jests‎, 7th edition:How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.

##### Usage notes

* May is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of to be allowed to are used to replace these missing tenses.
* The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of may is might.
* The present tense is negated as may not, which can be contracted to mayn't, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as might not, which can be contracted to mightn't.
* May has archaic second-person singular present forms mayest and mayst.
* Usage of this word in the sense of possibly is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word might instead.
* Conversely, since may not is particularly likely to promote confusion between the senses of "will possibly not" and "is forbidden to," some rules for the drafting of laws and regulations proscribe "may not" and require the use of "must not" or similar for clarity. Example:
* Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word may, as in Have a great day! rather than May you have a great day. The use of may for this purpose may lend a more formal, literary, or solemn feeling (perhaps jocularly so) to the wish. Moreover, wishes in the subjunctive need not use may if the meaning is clear without it, which is the case mainly for established expressions in the third-person singular such as God help you.

##### Derived terms

* a cat may look at a king
* as luck may have it
* as the case may be
* be it as it may, be that as it may, be this as it may
* come what may
* devil-may-care
* gods may do what cattle may not
* hold come what may
* if I may
* if I may be so bold
* if I may make so bold
* if I may say so
* I hope I may be shot
* I may not but
* it may well with, may well with
* I wish I may be shot
* lang may yer lum reek
* let the chips fall where they may
* let the dice fall where they may
* may as well
* maybe
* may chance
* may-fall
* may-fortune
* may God be my witness
* may God damn you
* may God have mercy on your soul
* mayhap
* mayhappen
* may I?
* may I help you
* may-issue
* mayn't
* may-pole
* may the 4th be with you
* may the Force be without you
* may the Force be with you
* may the force be with you
* may the Force not be with you
* may the Fourth be with you
* may the fourth be with you
* may the odds be ever in your favor
* may well
* may you live in interesting times
* mother may I
* much good may it do someone
* one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb
* pigs may fly
* sticks and stones may break my bones
* that is as may be, that's as may be
* the fox may grow grey but never good
* there may be snow on the mountaintop but there's fire in the valley
* there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace
* the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature
* those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay
* to those it may concern
* to whom it may concern
* to whom this may concern
* try as one may
* whatever the case may be
* what-you-may-call-it
* your mileage may differ
* your mileage may vary

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### See also

* Appendix:English modal verbs
* Appendix:English tag questions

### Etymology 2

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

#### Noun

may (uncountable)
* The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
** 1973, Patsy Adam Smith, The Barcoo Salute, Adelaide: Rigby, page 43:The fire from Lindfield was coming down the grassy hillside to the right between the hedges of may.

##### Derived terms

* Italian may
* mayhaw

##### Translations
#### Verb

may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)
* (poetic, intransitive) To gather may, or flowers in general.
** 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XIX, Chapter i leaf 386v:Soo it befelle in the moneth of May / quene Gueneuer called vnto her knyȝtes of the table round / and she gafe them warnynge that erly vpon the morowe she wold ryde on mayeng in to woodes & feldes besyde westmynstre. "So it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her knights of the Table Round; and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields beside Westminster."
** 1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems, VII, lines 1-2:In valleys green and still / Where lovers wander maying
* (poetic, intransitive) To celebrate May Day.

### Etymology 3

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”).

#### Noun

may (plural mays)
* (archaic) A maiden.

##### Derived terms

* shield-may

#### See also

* may-woon

### Anagrams

* Amy, MYA, Mya, Yam, mya, yam

## Azerbaijani
### Etymology

Borrowed from Russian май (maj).

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

may (definite accusative mayı, plural maylar)
* (North Azerbaijani) May
    Synonym: (South Azerbaijani) مه (mə)

#### Declension
### See also

* yanvar
* fevral
* mart
* aprel
* may
* iyun
* iyul
* avqust
* sentyabr
* oktyabr
* noyabr
* dekabr

## Bikol Central
### Verb

may
* there is
* to have

#### Synonyms

* igwa

#### Antonyms

* mayo
* wara

## Cebuano
### Etymology

From Proto-Central Philippine *may (existential marker).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmaj/ [ˈmaɪ̯]
* Hyphenation: may

### Verb

may (Badlit spelling ᜋᜌ᜔)
* particle used as an existential marker: there be; there is
    Synonyms: anaa, aduna, adia, ania, atua
    Antonym: wala
    may bulawan sa ungibthere is gold in the cave
    may dagkong mga pating sa dagatthe big sharks are in the sea
* particle used as a possessive marker: to have
    may sakyanan si MariaMaria has a personal vehicle
* (after sa) near a place
    sa may pultahan ― by the door
* (sometimes with mga) approximately, about some time ago; at around
    may (mga) duha ka buwan na ― it has been about two months
    may (mga) alas-kuwatro ― at around four o'clock
* (+ adjective prefixed with pagka-) be somewhat
    may pagkatabian si Antonio ― Antonio is somewhat talkative

#### Usage notes

* In contrast to aduna and anaa, which behave as verbs and could thus take postpositive enclitics, may is a particle and is used immediately before the word modified.
    may sakyanan siya ― she has a car
    may siya sakyanan ― is ungrammatical

#### Derived terms

* may edad
* may lain pa

## Crimean Tatar
### Noun

may
* butter, oil

#### Synonyms

* yağ

## Gagauz
### Etymology

Borrowed from Russian май (maj), from Latin Maius.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mɑj/

### Noun

may
* (literary) May
    Synonym: Hederlez ay

### See also

* Büük ay
* Küçük ay
* Baba marta
* Çiçek ay
* Hederlez ay
* Kirez ay
* Orak ay
* Harman ay
* Ceviz ay
* Canavar ay
* Kasım ay
* Kırım ay

### Further reading

N. A Baskakov, editor (1972), “май”, in Gagauzsko-Russko-Moldavskij Slovarʹ [Gagauz-Russian-Moldovan Dictionary], Moskva: Izdatelʹstvo Sovetskaja Enciklopedija, →ISBN, page 322

## Kalasha
### Determiner

may
* my

### Pronoun

may
* me

## Mapudungun
### Adverb

may (Raguileo spelling)
* yes

### References

* Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

## Northern Kurdish
### Noun

may m
* intervention

#### Derived terms

* mayê xwe tê dan
* maytêder
* maytêderî
* maytêker
* maytêkerî
* mayê xwe tê kirin

## Pacoh
### Etymology

From Proto-Katuic *maj, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *mi[i]ʔ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [maj]

### Pronoun

may
* you (second person singular pronoun)

#### Affixed forms

* amay ("to you")
* mmay ("yours")

## Quechua
### Adverb

may
* where
* like, how, very

#### Derived terms

* maykama
* mayman
* maymanta
* maypi

#### See also

* may may

### Pronoun

may
* (interrogative pronoun) which

### Verb

may
* (transitive) to fear

#### Conjugation
## Tagalog
### Alternative forms

* mey, me — nonstandard
* mi — obsolete

### Etymology

From Proto-Central Philippine *may (existential marker). See also Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mai (“and”).

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /maj/ [maɪ̯], (colloquial) /ˈme/ [ˈmɛ]
** Rhymes: -aj
* (Batangas) IPA: /ˈmej/ [ˈmeɪ̯]
** Rhymes: -ej
* Syllabification: may

### Particle

may (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌ᜔)
* particle used as an existential marker: to be; to have
    Synonyms: mayroon, meron
    Antonym: wala
    May tubig sa bahay.There is water in the house.
    May pagkain ako rito, sa'yo na lang.I have food here, have it.

#### Usage notes

* May is used immediately before the thing possessed or existing, whereas mayroon can be separated by enclitics (e.g. lang, kaya, and ako). Sentences like *may ako pagkain would be ungrammatical.

#### Derived terms

* mema

#### See also

* may-

### Preposition

may (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌ᜔)
* used after sa: by; around; near
    Kunin mo ang araro doon sa may puno ng mangga.Get the shovel by the mango tree.(literally, “Get the shovel at the place with the mango tree.”)

### Further reading

* “may”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

## Tat
### Etymology

Cognate with Persian مادر (mâdar).

### Noun

may
* mother

## Tatar
### Alternative forms

* май (may)

### Noun

may
* May (Month of the Year)

#### See also

* Previous: äpril. * Next: yün

## Uzbek
### Etymology

Borrowed from Russian май (maj), from Latin māius.

### Noun

may (plural maylar)
* May

#### Related terms

* yanvar
* fevral
* mart
* aprel
* may
* iyun
* iyul
* avgust
* sentabr
* oktabr
* noyabr
* dekabr

## Vietnamese
### Pronunciation

* (Hà Nội) IPA: [maj˧˧]
* (Huế) IPA: [maj˧˧]
* (Saigon) IPA: [ma(ː)j˧˧]

### Etymology 1

Cognate with Muong băl.

#### Verb

may • (𦁼, 埋, 枚)
* to sew

##### Derived terms

* may mặc
* may vá
* nhà may
* thợ may

#### See also

* khâu

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

may • (𢆧, 埋, 𱜿, 𱝁, 枚, 𠶣)
* lucky
    Synonym: hên

##### Derived terms

* ăn may
* hoạ may
* may mắn (từ láy)
* may ra
* may rủi

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

may • (埋, 枚)
* (now rarely in isolation) a cold breeze

##### See also

* gió heo may
* gió may
* hơi may

## Walloon
### Etymology

From Old French mai, from Latin Māius.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /maj/

### Noun

may
* May (month)

#### See also

* djanvî
* fevrî
* måss
* avri
* may
* djun
* djulete
* awousse
* setimbe
* octôbe
* nôvimbe
* decimbe