may

\ \ English has basically two words may, although one of them has now virtually split into two. The auxiliary verb may [OE] goes back ultimately to the Indo-European base *mogh-, *megh-, denoting ‘power, ability’, which also produced English machine, main, and might. Its Germanic descendant *magan lies behind German and Dutch mag, Swedish må, and Danish maa as well as English may. The compound maybe dates from the 15th century, and dismay is also related. May the month-name [13] comes via Old French mai from Latin Maius. This was originally an adjective meaning ‘of Maia’, Maia being a Roman goddess and wife of Vulcan (her name may go back to the same source as Latin magnus ‘large’, and hence denote ‘growth’ or ‘increase’). In the month of May the hawthorn comes into flower, and so in the 16th century the tree received the name may.

\ \ Cf.⇒ DISMAY, MACHINE, MAIN, MIGHT