(the infin. does not occur in W. S. but mæge glosses posse, Mk. Skt. p. 3, 1; and magende (cf. Icel. megandi) = quiens, Ælfc. Gr. 41; Som. 44, 21. Megende valens, Kent. Gl. 189: the later English forms seem to point to mugan, Gen. and Ex. mugen: Orm. muȝhenn: Chauc. mowen: Wick. mowe: Prompt. Parv. mown. Icel. has mega: O. H. Ger. magan and mugan: M. H. Ger. mugen, mügen: Ger. mögen); prs. ic, hé mæg, ðú meaht, mæht, meht, miht; pl. mágon, máhan, mǽgon (or magen?): Goth. keeps a throughout: Icel. megum: O. Sax. O. Frs. mugan: O. H. Ger. (sie) magun, mugun (later mugen); p. meahte, mæhte, mehte, mihte (Goth. mahta: O. Sax. mahta, mohta; O. Frs. machte: Icel. mátti: O. H. Ger. mahta, mohta: M. H. Ger. mohte: Ger. mochte); subj. prs. mǽge, máge, mége, meige (or mæge? Icel. megi: O. Sax. mugi: O. H. Ger. megi, mugi) I. to be strong, efficacious, to avail, prevail, be sufficient :-- Gif ðú meht si vales, Kent. Gl. 52. Wel mæg ðæm dæg wérignise his sufficit diei malitia sua, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 6, 34: Mk. Skt. Lind. Rush. 14, 41. Ne meg mon non praevaleat homo, Ps. Surt. 9, 20. Ne mágon úre woruldfrýnd ús ðonne ǽnigum góde our friends will avail us nothing then, Wulfst. 151, 12. Helle gatu me mágon ongén ða portæ inferi non prævalebunt adversum eam, Mt. Kmbl. 16, 18. Magan tó to serve a purpose, be good for, have an effect, be the cause of :-- Ne mæg tó náhte ad nihilum valet, 5, 13. Biþ men ful lytle ðý bet ðeáh ðe hé gódne fæder hæbbe, gif hé self tó náuhte ne mæg, Bt. 30, 1; Fox 108, 30. Tó hwan mæg ðis eorþlíce hús, gif hit ýdel stent, Homl. Th. ii. 582, 12: 432, 15: Past. Swt. 7, 12. Him mæg tó sorge ðæt hé nát hwæt him tóweard biþ it causes him anxiety that he knows not what will happen to him, Bt. 11, 1; Fox 32, 12. Wæs geworden ðætte seó ylce eorþe mihte tó hǽle factum est ut ipsa terra gratiæ salutaris haberet effectum, Bd. 3, 11; S. 535, 34: Exon. 21 b; Th. 57, 21; Cri. 922: 100 a; Th. 374, 17; Seel. 127: 82 b; Th. 311, 30; Seef. 100. Magan wið (cf, Icel. mega við) to prevail with or against, to be efficacious against (of a medicine) to be good for (a disease) :-- Gif ic swá wel wið ðé mæg if I am so influential with thee, Homl. Skt. 3,176. Wið ǽlcum áttre mágon contra venexum valent, Bd. 1, 1; S. 474, 36. Ðeós wyrt mæg wið manega untrumnyssa, Herb. 171, 1; Lchdm. i. 300, 24: L. Med. ex Quad. 5, 3; Lchdm. i. 348, 9: L. M. 2, 64; Lchdm. ii. 290, 10. Ðis mæg horse wið ðon ðe him biþ corn on ða fét, Lchdm. iii. 62, 24. Migtigra wíte wealdeþ ðonne hé him wið mǽge one too mighty for him to withstand is the disposer of punishment, Cd. 200; Th. 249, 1; Dan. 523. II. to be strong, be in good health (so Icel. mega vel, &c.) :-- 'Hú mæg he?' Hig cwǽdon ðǽt hé wel mihte 'sanusne est?' 'Valet,' inquiunt, Gen. 29, 6. Ðá sǽde se cnapa ðæt hé swíðe wel mihte, Homl. Skt. 3, 435. Ðonne ðú mé getrymedest, ðæt ic teala mihte, Ps. Th. 70, 20. III. to be able, may (because a thing is possible) :-- Ic mæg queo; magende quiens, Ælfc. Gr. 41; Som. 44, 21. Ic mæg queo, ðú miht quis, hé mæg quit; ic mihte quivi, 30; Som. 35, 5. (1) With infin. :-- Ic mid handum ne mæg heofon gerǽcan, Cd. 216; Th. 275, 9; Sat. 169. Hér ys seó bót hú ðú meaht ðíne æceras bétan, Lchdm. i. 398, 1: Cd. 27; Th. 36, 1; Gen. 565. Ðú .. ðe ǽghwylc miht wundor gewyrcean, Ps. Th. 76, 11. Hú mæg ðæt yfel beón ðætte ǽlces monnes ingeþanc wénþ ðætte gód sie, Bt. 24, 4; Fox 86, 12. Ðæt mæg engel ðín eáþ geféran, 387; An. 194. Eall ðis mágon him sylfe geseón ... mágun leóda bearn oncnáwan, Exon. 24 a; Th. 69, 5-12; Cri. 1115. Hí me mágon ðone earman gefyllan, Bt. 11, 1; Fox 34, 1. Him ða stormas derian me máhan (mǽgon, Cott. MS.), 7, 3; Fox 22, 6. Wé ðæt sóþ mǽgon secgan, Cd. 94; Th. 121, 21; Gen. 2013. [Beo ðan wé mugen understanden, Shrn. 17, 26.] Ðǽt hé ána mǽge geríman, Cd. 163; Th. 205, 21; Exod. 439. Ic mæege, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 26, 61. Ic mége possim, Ps. Surt. 70, 8. Ðú meige possis, Kent. Gl. 958. Ðæt ic máge geseón, Homl. Th. i. 152, 22. Cunnige máge man of eágum teáras gerǽcan try whether tears can be drawn from their eyes, L. P. M. 3; Th. ii. 288, 4. Gif wé hit mǽgen áþencan, Cd. 21; Th. 26, 2; Gen. 400: 226; Th. 302, 11; Sat. 597. Ué mǽgi, Rtl. 45, 3. Mǽgi hiá, 95, 16. Wíddra ðonne befæðman mǽge foldan sceattas, 163; Th. 204, 32; Exod. 428. [Ðæt heó þurh ða mugen tó lífes wege becumen .. ðæt ða ðe ðǽr ingáþ mugen ðone leóme geseón, Shrn. 12, 10-13.] Ne meahte hé æt his hige findan, Cd. 14; Th. 18, 1; Gen. 266: Beo. Th. 3322; B. 1659. Mehte, 2168; B. 1082. Eáþe heó mehte beón geseald, Blickl. Homl. 69, 7. Swá swá mihte beón fíf þúsend wera, Homl. Th. i. 182, 16. Ðú meahtes geseón ǽgðer ge fét ge heáfod, Past. 35; Swt. 241, 14: St. And. 10, 22: Exon. 39 b; Th. 130, 19; Gú. 440. Mihtest, Blickl. Homl. 175, 28. Ða ne meahton ásecgan, 145, 13: Cd. 115; Th. 150, 14; Gen. 2491. Wé ðæt deór gewundigan ne meahte, Nar. 21, 4. Maehtun, Ps. Surt. 20, 12. Mehton, Blickl. Homl. 15, 13. Mihton, 79, 16. Ðæt láðra nǽnig sceððan ne meahte, Beo. Th. 492; B. 243. Óþ ðæt ðú meahte .. forsión, meahtes .. lácan, Bt. Met. Fox 24, 11-17; Met. 24, 6-9. Mihte, Blickl. Homl. 45, 27, Swá hit men fægrost geþencean meahton, 125, 23: Elen. Kmbl. 648; El. 324. Meahten, Exon. 64 a; Th. 236, 13; Ph. 573. Meahte, 39 a; Th. 128, 14; Gú. 404. Mehten, Ors. 3, 1; Swt. 98, 3. Mihtan, Blickl. Homl. 45, 14: 137, 1. Mihten, Cd. 224; Th. 298, 11; Sat. 500. Mihton, Blickl. Homl. 49, 10. Mihte, Ps. Th. 77, 1. (2) followed, by a clause :-- Hwá mæg ðæt hé ne wundrige, Bt. 34, 10; Fox 150, 9. (3) with ellipsis of the infin. (a) of a verb which occurs elsewhere in the sentence :-- Gelácna ðú hý forðan ðú éðest miht (gelácnian), Hy. 1, 6; Hy. Grn. ii. 280, 6. Nelle ic aldre beneótan, ðeáh ic eáðe mǽge, Beo. Th. 1365; B. 680. Ðæs ofereode, ðisses swá mæg, Exon. 100 a; Th. 377, 22; Deór. 7. Telle ðás steorran, gif ðú máge, Gen. 15, 5: Bd. 5, 3; S. 616, 31. Forlǽte swá hé oftost mǽge, Bt. Met. Fox 22, 18; Met. 22, 9: 27, 58, 66; Met. 27, 29, 33. Árás swá hé hraðost meahte, Exon. 49 a; Th. 168, 24; Gú. 1080. Wolde ic freóndscipe ðínne, gif ic mihte, begitan, Andr. Kmbl. 958; An. 479. (b) of a verb whose place is taken by swá :-- Wolde freádrihtnes feorh ealgian, ðǽr hié meahton swá, Beo. Th. 1599; B. 797. Cwǽdon ðæt heó ríce ágan woldon, and swá eáðe meahtan, Cd, 3; Th. 4, 4; Gen. 48. Wyllen forsweolgan, gif hí swá mágon, Ps. Th. 123, 2. (c) of a verb to be inferred from the context (i) verbs of motion :-- Nó dý ǽr fram meahte (might escape), Beo. Th. 1513; B. 754. Ic ne mæg of ðissum lioþobendum, Cd. 19; Th. 24, 22; Gen. 381. Ne mæg hé on ðæt non intrabit its illud, Mk. Skt. 10, 15. On ðone forecwedenan portic má ne mihte prædicta porticus plura capere nequivit, Bd. 2, 3; S. 504, 38. Ðæt ic up heonon mǽge, Cd. 222; Th. 291, 3; Sat. 425. (ii) other verbs (see also I) :-- Wel ðæt swá mæg that may well be so, Bd. 2, 1; S. 501, 18. þuhte heom ðæt hit mihte swá, ðæt hié wéron seolfe swegles brytan, Cd. 213; Th. 266, 15; Sat. 22: Andr. Kmbl. 2786; An. 1395. Wolde hyre búr átimbrian, gif hit swá meahte, Exon. 108 a; Th. 411, 28; Rä. 30, 6. Wísdóm sǽde ðæt men mihton (could understand) be Gode swelce hí mǽte, Bt. tit. 26; Fox xiv. 16. Ne mágon ðam breahtme býman ne hornas (cannot equal), Exon. 57 b; Th. 206, 29; Ph. 134. IV. may (because a thing is permissible or lawful, because there is sufficient cause) :-- Ðú miht ðæs habban þanc, ðæt ðú mínra gifa wel bruce. Ne miht ðú nó gereccan ðæt ðú ðínes áuht forlure, Bt. 7, 3; Fox 20, 12. Hú miht (mæht, Lind.) ðú secgan ðínum bréðer, Lk. Skt. 6, 42. Ðú meaht ðé forþ faran, Cd. 26; Th. 34, 25; Gen. 543. Hié leng ne mágon healdan heofonríce, 35; Th. 45, 24; Gen. 731. Nú wit mágon sorgian for his síðe we have good cause to rue his journey, 38; Th. 49, 29; Gen. 799; Exon. 9 b: Th. 8, 34; Cri. 127. Hwæðer sél mǽge wunde gedýgan, Beo. Th. 5054; B. 2530. Hit me meahte swá that was not allowed, Exon. 41 a; Th. 136, 29; Gú. 548. V. in the Northumbrian Gospels the verb is used as an auxiliary in the translation of the Latin subjunctive, or fut. indic. :-- Synngiga mæge peccabit, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 18, 21. Wé habbas ł mágon habba habebimus, 21, 38. (Also the W. S. version in Mt. Kmbl. 26, 54, has hú mágon beón gefyllede quomodo implebuntur.) Hú hine mæhtes tó lose gedóa quomodo eum perderent, 12, 14. Ðatte hiá éton ł mæhton eata quod manducarent, Mk. Skt. Lind. 8, 1. Huu hine hiá ácuoella mæhton (mæhtun, Rush.) perderent, 11, 18. Mæghton (mæhtun, Rush.), Lk. Skt. Lind. 22, 2.