may
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: mā
ipa: /meɪ/
rhymes: -eɪ
homophone: May
homophone: Mei
Forms: form: may
form: might
form: maye
Etymology: 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.
Senses: glosses: To be strong; to have power (over).
examples: text: But many times[…]we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
ref: 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:
glosses: To be able; can.
examples: text: 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 […].
ref: 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:
glosses: To be able to go.
examples: text: you may smoke outside;   may I sit there?
synonyms: can
could
might
glosses: To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
examples: text: he may be lying;   Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box
text: 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.]
text: A female crocodile may lay up to forty eggs. [Typical occurrence.]
text: 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.
ref: 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative.
Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
synonyms: could
might
examples: text: You may be my boss, but that doesn't mean you can insult me.
text: 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.]
text: 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.
ref: 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:
glosses: Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative.
Expressing a disjunctive or contrastive relation between indicative statements.
synonyms: might
examples: text: may you win;  may the weather be sunny;  long may your reign last
text: Let us pray that peace may soon return to our war-torn homeland.
text: 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
ref: 1974, Bob Dylan, “Forever Young”, in Planet Waves:
text: May I never miss the thrill of being near you
ref: 1984, “No More Lonely Nights”, performed by Paul McCartney:
synonyms: might
glosses: Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
examples: text: How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.
ref: 1744 [1720], Matthew Prior, “Phillis's age”, in Joe Miller's Jests, 7th edition:
glosses: Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
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
formay
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
mappen
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 I pass through
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