may

名词 n. 动词 v.
中文释义
发音 mā

英文释义

名词 n.
  1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms. uncountable
    — The fire from Lindfield was coming down the grassy hillside to the right between the hedges of may.
  2. A maiden. archaic
动词 v.
  1. To be strong; to have power (over). intransitive,no-past-participle,no-present-participle,obsolete
  2. To gather may, or flowers in general. intransitive,poetic
    — Soo it befelle in the moneth of May / quene Gueneuer called vnto her knyȝtes of the table round / and she gafe them warnynge that erly vpon the morowe she wold ryde on mayeng in to woodes & feldes besyde westmynstre. "So it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her knights of the Table Round; and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields beside Westminster."
  3. To be able; can. auxiliary,no-past-participle,no-present-participle,obsolete
    — But many times[…]we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
  4. To celebrate May Day. intransitive,poetic
  5. To be able to go. intransitive,no-past-participle,no-present-participle,poetic
    — 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 […].
  6. To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. auxiliary,defective,modal,no-past-participle,no-present-participle
    — you may smoke outside
  7. Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative.; Expressing a present possibility; possibly. auxiliary,defective,modal,no-past-participle,no-present-participle
    — he may be lying
  8. 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. auxiliary,defective,modal,no-past-participle,no-present-participle
    — You may be my boss, but that doesn't mean you can insult me.
  9. Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). defective,no-past-participle,no-present-participle,poetic,present
    — may you win;  may the weather be sunny;  long may your reign last
  10. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark. auxiliary,defective,modal,no-past-participle,no-present-participle
    — How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.

词形变化

may present,singular,third-person might past maye alternative mays present,singular,third-person maying participle,present mayed participle,past mayed past mays plural

词汇关系

衍生词
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 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 not 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

词源

词源 1
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.
词源 2
From French mai, so called because it blossoms in the month of May.
词源 3
From Middle English may, maye (“woman, maid, girl, virgin”), from Old English mǣġ (“kinswoman”), from Proto-West Germanic *māg, from Proto-Germanic *mēgaz (“kinsman”). Related to Old English māge, mǣġe (“kinswoman”) and Old English mǣġ (“kinsman”).
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