From en.wiktionary.org:
[Appendix:Variations of "may"]
** English
[May (disambiguation)]
*** Pronunciation
- [mā] , [en]
- [en]
- [en]
- [en]
*** Etymology 1
[en] From [en], [enm], [enm], [enm], from [en], from [en], from [en], from
[en].
Cognate with [nl], [nds], [de], [sv], [is], [is]. See also [en].
**** Alternative forms
- [obsolete] [en]
**** Verb
[may]
1. [en] To be strong ; to have power (over). [8th–17th c.]
2. [en] To be able ; can . [8th–17th c.]
3. * [edition=2nd]
4. [en] To be able to go . [from 9th c.]
5. * [en]
6. [en] [en] To have permission to, be allowed . [Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.] [from 9th c.]
7. [en] [en] [Granting the admissibility of a supposition , in a way that can be semantically either [subjunctive] or [indicative] < !--even if one asserts that morphosyntactically it signals subjunctivity-->.]
1. [en] [en] [Expressing a present possibility ; possibly] . [from 13th c.]
2. * {{ quote-journal | en | date=October 1, 2011 | author=Phil Dawkes | work=BBC Sport
|title=Sunderland 2-2 West Brom (see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/15045630.stm) |passage=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.}}
1. [en] [en] [Expressing a disjunctive or contrastive relation between [indicative] statements.]
2. * {{ quote-journal | en | date=2013-07-06 | volume=408 | issue=8843 | page=68 | magazine=w:The Economist
|title=The rise of smart beta (see
http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21580518-terrible-name-interesting-trend-rise-smart-beta)
|passage=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.}}
1. [en] [Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect)] . [from 16th c.]
2. * [en]
3. * [en]
4. [en] [Used in modesty , courtesy , or concession , or to soften a question or remark.]
5. * [en]
***** Usage notes
- [en] is now a defective verb . It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of [en] are used to replace these missing tenses.
- The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of [en] is [en] .
- The present tense is negated as [en] , which can be contracted to [en] , although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as [en] , which can be contracted to [en] .
- [en] has archaic second-person singular present forms [en] and [en] .
- Usage of this word in the sense of [en] 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 [en] 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: see https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/legis-redact/legistics/p1p8.html
- Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word [en] , 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 [en] .
***** Derived terms
{{col|en|[en]? |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 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 }}
***** Translations
[have permission to]
- Albanian : [sq] (gheg) , [sq]
- American Sign Language: [ase]
- Arabic: [ar] , [ar]
- Bulgarian: [bg] , [bg]
- Catalan: [ca]
- Chinese:
- Czech: [cs]
- Danish: [da]
- Dutch: [nl]
- Esperanto: [eo]
- Finnish: [fi] , [fi]
- French: [fr]
- Galician: [gl] , [gl]
- German: [de] , [de]
- Gothic: [got]
- Greek: [el] , [el]
- Hungarian: [hu] , [hu] , [hu]
- Icelandic: [is]
- Indonesian: [id] , [id] , [id]
- Italian: [it]
- Japanese: [ja]
- Korean: [ko]
- Latin: [la] , [use the subjunctive of the verb that follows] [la] , [la] , [la]
- Latvian: [lv]
- Malay: [ms]
- Ngazidja Comorian: [zdj]
- Norwegian: [no] , [no] , [no]
- Old English: [ang] , [ang]
- Persian: [fa]
- Polish: [pl]
- Portuguese: [pt]
- Romanian: [ro]
- Russian: [ru] , [ru] [predicative]
- Slovak: [sk]
- Sorbian:
- Spanish: [es]
- Swedish: [sv] , [sv] , [sv]
- Tagalog: [tl] , [tl]
- Vietnamese: [vi]
- Walloon: [wa]
- Welsh: [cy]
[trans-bottom]
[possibly, but not certainly]
- Albanian : [sq]
- American Sign Language: [ase]
- Catalan: [ca] [followed by "que" and then the subjunctive]
- Chinese:
- Czech: [cs] ( moct )
- Danish: [da]
- Dutch: [nl]
- Finnish: [fi] , [fi] , [fi]
- French: [fr] , [fr] [impersonal, third-person singular]
- Galician: [gl]
- German: [de] , [de]
- Greek: [el] , [el]
- Hebrew: [he]
- Hungarian: [hu] , [hu] , [hu]
- Icelandic: [is] [in the past subjunctive]
- Indonesian: [id] , [id] , [id] , [id]
- Italian: [it] , [it] [it]
- Japanese: [ja] , [ja]
- Latin: [use the subjunctive of the verb that follows] [la]
- Malay: [ms] , [ms]
- Norwegian: [no] , also expressed with adv. [no]
- Persian: [fa]
- Polish: [pl] , [pl]
- Portuguese: [pt] , [pt]
- Romanian: [ro]
- Russian: [ru] , [ru]
- Spanish: [see Usage notes at _quizás_] [es] , [es] , [es]
- Swedish: [sv] , [sv] , [sv]
- Tagalog: [tl] , [tl]
- Thai: [th]
- Vietnamese: [vi]
[trans-bottom]
[subjunctive]
- Chinese:
- Czech: [cs]
- Dutch: [nl] < !-- ; come what may - _komen wat komen moge_ -->
- French: [fr] + [ noun phrase ] + _subjunctive (verb)_
- German: [de] , [de] , _Konkinktiv I (verb)_
- Hungarian: [hu] [assimilated after certain endings]
- Italian: _use subjunctive of_ [it]
- Latin: [use the subjunctive of the verb that follows] [la]
- Malay: [ms] , [ms]
- Maori: [mi]
- Nahuatl: [nah]
- Norwegian:
- Polish: [pl] , [pl] , [pl] , [pl] , [pl] , [pl] [Old Polish]
- Portuguese: [pt]
- Romanian: [ro]
- Russian: [ru] ... , [ru]
- Serbo-Croatian: [sh]
- Spanish: [use the subjunctive of the verb that follows] [es] , [es]
- Swedish: [sv] < !-- _, or rarely, _ [sv] -->
- Ukrainian: [uk] , [uk] , [uk]
[trans-bottom] [checktrans-top]
- Ido: [4, 5] [io] , [1, 2] [io]
- Romanian: [ro]
[trans-bottom]
**** See also
- Appendix:English modal verbs
- Appendix:English tag questions
*** Etymology 2
From [en], so called because it blossoms in the month of May.
**** Noun
[-]
1. The hawthorn bush or its blossom s.
2. * [en]
***** Derived terms
- [Italian may]
- mayhaw
- may tree
***** Translations
[the hawthorn bush or its blossom]
- Bulgarian: [bg]
- Finnish: [fi]
- French: [fr]
- Galician: [gl] , [gl]
- German: [de]
- Greek: [el]
- Hungarian: [bush] [hu] , [hu]
- Italian: [it]
- Ojibwe: [oj] , [oj]
- Portuguese: [pt] , [pt]
- Romanian: [ro] , [ro]
- Russian: [ru]
- Spanish: [es] , [es]
[trans-bottom]
**** Verb
[en-verb]
1. [en] To gather may, or flowers in general.
2. * [en]
3. * [en]
4. [en] To celebrate May Day .
*** Etymology 3
From [en], [enm], from [en], from [en], from [en]. Related to [ang], [ang]
and [ang].
**** Noun
[en-noun]
1. [en] A maiden .
***** Derived terms
- shield-may
**** See also
- may-woon
*** Anagrams
- [en]
[en] [en]
** Azerbaijani
*** Etymology
[az].
*** Pronunciation
- [az]
*** Noun
[az-noun]
1. [az] May
**** Declension
[a]
*** See also
[list:Gregorian calendar months/az]
** Bikol Central
*** Verb
[bcl]
1. there is
2. to have
**** Synonyms
- [bcl]
**** Antonyms
- [bcl]
- [bcl]
** Cebuano
*** Etymology
From Proto-Central Philippine _*may_ (existential marker).
*** Pronunciation
- [ceb-IPA]
- [ceb]
*** Verb
[b=+]
1. [particle used as an existential marker] : there be ; there is
2. [particle used as a possessive marker] : to have
3. [ceb] near a place
4. [ceb] approximately , about some time ago; at around
5. [ceb] be somewhat
**** Usage notes
- In contrast to [ceb] and [ceb] , which behave as verbs and could thus take postpositive enclitics, may is a particle and is used immediately before the word modified.
**** Derived terms
[ceb]
** Crimean Tatar
*** Noun
[crh]
1. butter , oil
**** Declension
[nıñ]
**** Synonyms
- [crh]
** Gagauz
*** Etymology
[gag], from [gag].
*** Pronunciation
- [gag]
*** Noun
[gag]
1. [gag] May
*** See also
[list:Gregorian calendar months/gag]
*** Further reading
[page=322]
** Kalasha
*** Determiner
[kls]
1. my
*** Pronoun
[kls]
1. me
** Mapudungun
*** Adverb
[arn] [r]
1. yes
*** References
- [R:Wixaleyiñ 2008]
** Middle English
*** Etymology 1
From [enm], from [enm], from [enm].
**** Alternative forms
- [enm]
**** Pronunciation
- [enm]
**** Noun
[mayn]
1. woman
***** Descendants
- [en]
- [yol]
***** References
- [entry=mai]
*** Etymology 2
**** Alternative forms
- [enm]
**** Verb
[enm]
1. [enm]
** Northern Kurdish
*** Noun
[m]
1. intervention
**** Derived terms
{{col|kmr |mayê xwe tê dan |maytêder |maytêderî |maytêker |maytêkerî |mayê xwe
tê kirin }}
** Pacoh
*** Etymology
From [pac], from [pac].
*** Pronunciation
- [pac]
*** Pronoun
[pac]
1. you [second person singular pronoun]
**** See also
[Pacoh personal pronouns]
** Quechua
*** Adverb
[qu]
1. where
2. like , how , very
**** Derived terms
- [qu]
- [qu]
- [qu]
- [qu]
**** See also
- [qu]
*** Pronoun
[qu]
1. [qu] which
*** Verb
[qu]
1. [qu] to fear
**** Conjugation
[ma]
** Tagalog
*** Alternative forms
- [tl]
- [tl]
*** Etymology
From Proto-Central Philippine _*may_ (existential marker). See also
[poz-pro].
*** Pronunciation
[+,me < q:colloquial>]
*** Particle
[particle]
1. [particle used as an existential marker] : to be ; to have
**** Usage notes
- MAY is used immediately before the thing possessed or existing, whereas [tl] can be separated by enclitic s (e.g. [tl] , [tl] , and [tl] ). Sentences like * _may ako pagkain_ would be ungrammatical.
**** Derived terms
[tl]
**** See also
- [tl]
*** Preposition
[b=+]
1. [used after [tl]] : by ; around ; near
*** Further reading
- [R:Pambansang Diksiyonaryo]
** Tat
*** Etymology
Cognate with [fa].
*** Noun
[ttt]
1. mother
** Tatar
*** Alternative forms
- [tt]
*** Noun
[noun]
1. May (Month of the Year)
**** Declension
[nıñ]
**** See also
- Previous: äpril . * Next: [tt]
[tt]
** Uzbek
[lang=uz]
*** Etymology
[uz], from [uz].
*** Noun
[y]
1. [en]
**** Declension
[uz-decl-noun]
**** Related terms
[list:Gregorian calendar months/uz]
[uz]
** Vietnamese
*** Pronunciation
[vi-IPA]
*** Etymology 1
Cognate with [mtq] Bi [mtq].
**** Verb
[𦁼, 埋 , 枚]
1. to sew
***** Derived terms
[vi]
**** See also
- [vi]
*** Etymology 2
Cognate with [mtq] Bi [mtq].
**** Adjective
[𢆧, 埋 , 𱜿 , 𱝁 , 枚 , 𠶣]
1. lucky
***** Derived terms
[vi]
*** Etymology 3
**** Noun
[埋, 枚]
1. [vi] a cold breeze
***** See also
[vi]
[vi]
** Walloon
[lang=wa]
*** Etymology
From [wa], from [wa].
*** Pronunciation
- [wa]
*** Noun
[wa]
1. May (month)
**** See also
[list:Gregorian calendar months/wa]
[wa]
** Zazaki
*** Etymology
From [zza].
*** Pronunciation
- [zza]
- [zza]
*** Noun
[zza]
1. mother