[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/mayst/)

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# mayst

auxiliary verb

«mayst» in the English dictionary: Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Early Modern English

### Meaning

May; be allowed to; might. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/M/mayst/#m1)

### Then and now

No longer used in ordinary speech; today we say "may" with "you". "Mayst" is the old form used with "thou".

### Examples

- Of course thou mayst," said he. (Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/M/mayst/#x1)
- "Thou mayst as well go home then," said Oh, "but thy son shall live with me yet another year." So the man went away, sad at heart. (Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/M/mayst/#x2)
- Are there no barns outside where thou mayst put it up?"--"Hold your tongues, ye accursed wretches!" replied the man; "what has it got to do with you? (Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/M/mayst/#x3)

### Note

Today: may.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mayst» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/M/mayst/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mayst» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/mayst.html) on Mova free.