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may¹

(mā)

aux.v. Past tense might (mīt)

1. To be allowed or permitted to: May I take a swim? Yes, you may.

2. Used to express possibility or probability: It may rain this afternoon. See Usage Note at might².

3. Used to express a desire or fervent wish: Long may he live!

4. Used to express contingency, purpose, or result in clauses introduced by that or so that: expressing ideas so that the average person may understand.

5. To be obliged, as where rules of construction or legal doctrine call for a specified interpretation of a word used in a law or legal document. See Usage Note at can¹.

[Middle English mai, am able, is able (first and third person sing. of mowe, to be able), from Old English mæg, first and third person sing. of magan, to be strong, be able; see magh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

may²

(mā)

n.
Chiefly British

A hawthorn or its blossoms.

[French mai, hawthorn, from Mai, May (so called because it blooms in May); see MAY.]

May

(mā)

1. The fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. See Table at calendar.

2. The springtime of life; youth.

3. The celebration of May Day.

[Middle English, from Old French mai, May, and Latin Māius (mēnsis), (the month) of Maia (Old French, from Latin), from Māia, an Italic goddess; see meg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

May, Theresa Mary Born 1956.

British politician who served as prime minister (2016-2019).

May, Cape

A peninsula of southern New Jersey between the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. The southern tip forms Cape May Point.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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