Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/maganą

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Alternative reconstructions

• *muganą, *mage (3sg.), *mugunþ (3pl.)
• *magą

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *(me)mógʰe, from *megʰ-. Cognate with Proto-Slavic *moťi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.ɣɑ.nɑ̃/

Verb

*maganą

1. to be able, may

Inflection

Conjugation of *maganą (preterite-present)

	active voice			passive voice
present tense	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*mag	*magį̄	—	—	—
2nd singular	*maht	*magīz	—	—	—
3rd singular	*mag	*magī	—	—	—
1st dual	*magū	*magīw	—	—	—
2nd dual	*magudiz	*magīdiz	—	—	—
1st plural	*magum	*magīm	—	—	—
2nd plural	*magud	*magīd	—	—	—
3rd plural	*magun	*magīn	—	—	—
past tense	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*mahtǭ	*mahtēdį̄
2nd singular	*mahtēz	*mahtēdīz
3rd singular	*mahtē	*mahtēdī
1st dual	*mahtēdū	*mahtēdīw
2nd dual	*mahtēdudiz	*mahtēdīdiz
1st plural	*mahtēdum	*mahtēdīm
2nd plural	*mahtēdud	*mahtēdīd
3rd plural	*mahtēdun	*mahtēdīn
	present	past
participles	*magandz	*mahtaz

Usage notes

The main distinction between *kunnaną and *maganą is that the former deals with one's own capabilities, whereas the latter indicates ability due to favourable circumstances not under one's control.

Derived terms

• *magaz
• *maginą
• *maginaz
• *mahtiz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *magan
  • Old English: magan, *mugan, *meġan
    • Middle English: mowen (mostly from analogical *mugan)
      • English: may
      • Scots: mey, may, ma
      • Yola: mye, mey, mai, maa, ma; meigh
  • Old Frisian: muga
    • North Frisian:

      Föhr-Amrum: mei

      Mooring: mooge

    • Saterland Frisian: muuge
    • West Frisian: meie
  • Old Saxon: mugan
    • Middle Low German: mogen, mögen
      • Low German: mögen, mägen

        German Low German: mögen

  • Old Dutch: mugan
    • Middle Dutch: mōgen
      • Dutch: mogen
        • Afrikaans: mag
      • Limburgish: moge
  • Old High German: mugan
    • Middle High German: mugen, mogen, magen, megen, mügen, mögen
      • Alemannic German: möge
      • Central Franconian: mugge
      • Cimbrian: mögan, möng
      • German: mögen
        • → Central Franconian: müjje
      • Rhine Franconian:

        Pennsylvania German: meege

      • Yiddish: מעגן (megn)
• Proto-Norse:
  • Old Norse: mega
    • Icelandic: mega
    • Faroese: mega
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: moga; (dialectal) mågå, måga, mòge
    • Old Swedish: magha, mugha, mogha
      • Swedish: må
    • ⇒ Old Norse: mátti
      • Norwegian Nynorsk: måtta (infinitive), måtte
      • Norwegian Bokmål: måtte (also infinitive)
      • Old Swedish: mātte, māte
        • Swedish: måtte
      • Danish: måtte (also infinitive)
    • ⇒ Old Norse: má
      • Icelandic: má
      • Faroese: má
      • Norwegian Nynorsk: må
      • Norwegian Bokmål: må
      • Old Swedish: mā
        • Swedish: må
      • Danish: må
• Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan)