may

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Verb 1.2.1.1 Usage notes 1.2.1.2 Synonyms 1.2.1.3 Derived terms 1.2.1.4 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Derived terms 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.3.2 Verb 1.4 Anagrams 2 Crimean Tatar 2.1 Noun 2.1.1 Declension 2.1.2 Synonyms 3 Kurdish 3.1 Noun 3.1.1 Derived terms 4 Mapudungun 4.1 Adverb 5 Tagalog 5.1 Verb 6 Tatar 6.1 Alternative spellings 6.2 Noun 6.2.1 Declension 6.2.2 See also

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: mā, IPA: /meɪ/, SAMPA: /meI/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -eɪ

[edit] Etymology 1

Old English magan, from Germanic. Cognate with Dutch mogen, German mögen, Icelandic mega.

[edit] Verb

- (third-person singular simple present may, present participle -, simple past might, past participle -)

1. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.

   You may smoke outside.

   May I sit there?

2. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Possibly, but not certainly.

   He may be lying.

3. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing something that is possibly true.

   come what may

4. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing wish or blessing.

   May you win. May the weather be sunny.

[edit] Usage notes

• May is 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 indicative 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.
• Usage of this word in the sense of wish is often unstated, as in (may you) Have a great day!.

[edit] Synonyms

• (have permission to): can, could, might
• (possibly): could, might
• (in subjunctive): might

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

French mai, so called because it blossoms in May.

[edit] Noun

may (plural mays)

1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

[edit] Derived terms

• Italian may
• mayhaw

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)

1. To gather may.
   • 1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems, VII, lines 1-2

     In valleys green and still

     Where lovers wander maying

[edit] Anagrams

• Amy,
• Mya, MYA
• yam

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[edit] Crimean Tatar

[edit] Noun

may

1. butter, oil

[edit] Declension

[edit] Synonyms

• yağ

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[edit] Kurdish

[edit] Noun

may m.

1. intervention

[edit] Derived terms

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

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[edit] Mapudungun

[edit] Adverb

may (using Raguileo Alphabet)

1. yes

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[edit] Tagalog

[edit] Verb

may

1. there is

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[edit] Tatar

[edit] Alternative spellings

• май

[edit] Noun

may

1. May (Month of the Year)

[edit] Declension

[edit] See also

• Previous: äpril. * Next: yün