magan

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaɡan/,
• Hyphenation: ma‧gan

Noun

mágan m 

1. interdiction, prohibition

References

• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎, Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Faroese

Noun

magan

1. definite accusative singular of magi

Gothic

Romanization

magan

1. Romanization of 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽

Japanese

Romanization

magan

1. Rōmaji transcription of まがん
2. Rōmaji transcription of マガン

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²mɑ(ː).ɡɑn/

Noun

magan m

1. definite singular of maga
   • 1984, Ove Røsbak, Husimellom, : Cappelen, page 42:

     Det sokk så det kjetla i magan.

     It dawned so that the stomack tickled.

References

• “magan” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

• *mugan, *meġan

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą. See there for cognates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.ɡɑn/,

Verb

magan

1. (auxiliary, with an infinitive) can, to be able
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Maur, Abbot"

     Þā ġecwæð sē abbod and ealle þā ġebrōðra þæt þēr ne mihte nā mā munuca wunian...

     Then said the abbot and all the brothers, that no more monks could dwell there...

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Swithhun, Bishop"

     ...he næfre ær naht cweðan ne mihte...

     ...he had never before been able to speak,...

   • Early 11th century, Wulfstan, "Secundum Lucam"

     Uton helpan ūre selfra þā hwīle þe wē magon, þȳ lǣs wē forweorðen þonne wē lǣst wēnen.

     Let us help ourselves while we can, lest we perish when we least expect it.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Of the Catholic Faith"

     Būtan ġē hit ġelīefen, ne magon ġē hit understandan.

     Unless you believe it, you cannot understand it.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 45:3

     And hē cwæþ tō his ġebrōðrum, "Iċ eom Iosep! Leofaþ ūre fæder nū ġīet?" Þā ne meahton his ġebrōðru him for eġe ġeandwyrdan.

     And he said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is our father still alive?" But, out of fear, his brothers could not answer him.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 26:8-9

     Þēos sealf meahte bēon ġeseald tō miċelum weorðe and þearfum ġedǣledu.

     This ointment could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Mark 14:37

     Þā cōm hē and fand hīe slāpende, and cwæþ tō Petre, "Simon, slǣpst þū? Ne meahtest þū āne tīde wacian?"

     Then he came and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could'nt you stay awake for one hour?"

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Palm Sunday: On the Lord's Passion"

     Swā fela þūsenda engla meahton ēaðe bewerian Crist wiþ þām unmannum, mid heofonlīcum wǣpnum, ġif hē þrōwian nolde selfwilles for ūs.

     That many thousands of angels could have easily defended Christ against those brutes , with weapons from heaven, if he didn't want to suffer voluntarily for us.

2. (transitive) can (do something), to be able (to do something)
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The First Sunday After Easter"

     God is ælmihtiġ, and mæġ eall þæt hē wile.

     God is all-mighty, and can do anything he wants.

   • Durham Proverbs, no. 22

     Earg mæġ þæt ān: þæt hē him ondrǣde.

     A coward can only do one thing: fear.

3. avail, prevail
   • Nine Herbs Charm,

     Þū meaht wiþ þām lāþan / þe ġeond land færeþ.

     You avail against the loathsome one going around the land.

4. (intransitive) To get along; to be in any state, or pass through any experience (often with a qualifier denoting the nature of one's state)

   Synonym: faran

   "Hu meaht þu?" "Ic mæg wel."

   "How are you going?" "I am well."

Usage notes

• Late West Saxon uses miht(-) for meaht(-). By contrast, our most reliable witness of Early West Saxon spelling, King Alfred's translation of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care, consistently has meaht(-), occasionally meht(-).

Conjugation

Derived terms

• meagol
• miht

Related terms

• mæġen

Descendants

• Middle English: mowen (mostly from analogical *mugan)
  • English: may
  • Scots: mey, may, ma
  • Yola: mye, mey, mai, maa, ma; meigh