May

How to spell may

3 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce may

What does may mean?

1. verbUsed to express possibility, or to grant or ask permission.

May in a sentence

• The forecast warns that it may rain before the weekend.

• Staff may leave early once the audit is complete.

Where does may come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is one of the oldest verbs in English, descending from the Old English magan, which meant 'to be able' or 'to have the power or strength to do something'. It comes from a shared Germanic root, seen in the Dutch mogen and the German moegen, all tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to be powerful'. Over the centuries the idea of having the power to do a thing softened into the modern senses of possibility ('it may rain') and permission ('you may go'). The same ancient root gave English the noun 'might' and the word 'main' in the sense of strength, so 'may' is quietly a word about power. Because it is so short and so old, the spelling has stayed simple and stable, and the chief trap is only the homophone confusion with the verb 'make' contractions or the name of the month.

How the word is built

• may (modal verb from Old English magan: to be able, to have power); no affixes