magan

magan

See also: Magan, magán, and màgan

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʌɡʌn/
• 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)

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Faroese

Noun

magan

1. definite accusative singular of magi

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Gothic

Romanization

magan

1. Romanization of 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽

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Japanese

Romanization

magan

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

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²mɑ(ː).ɡɑn/

Noun

magan m

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

     Det sokk så det kjetla i magan.

     It dawned so that the stomack tickled.

References

• “magan” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Old English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.ɡɑn/, [ˈmɑ.ɣɑn]

Verb

magan

1. (auxiliary, with an infinitive) can, to be able
   • 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?"

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.

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

Conjugation of magan (preterite-present)

infinitive	magan	magenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	mæġ	meahte, mehte
second person singular	meaht	meahtest, mehtest
third person singular	mæġ	meahte, mehte
plural	magon	meahton, mehton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	mæġe	meahte, mehte
plural	mæġen	meahten, mehten
imperative
singular	—
plural	—
participle	present	past
	magende	—

Derived terms

• miht

Related terms

• mæġen

Descendants

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