Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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MAGAN

  • verb [ preterite-present ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
MAGAN, (the infin. does not occur in W. S. but mæge glosses posse,
  • Mk. Skt. p. 3, 1
    • ;
and <b>magende</b>
(cf. Icel. megandi) = quiens,
  • Ælfc. Gr. 41
    • ;
  • Som. 44, 21.
Wright's OE grammar
§78; §240; §481; §544;
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to be strong, efficacious, to avail, prevail, be sufficient
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to be strong, be in good health
(
so Icel. mega vel, &c.)
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to be able, may (because a thing is possible)
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With infin.
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followed, by a clause
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with ellipsis of the infin.
of a verb which occurs elsewhere in the sentence
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of a verb whose place is taken by swá :
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of a verb to be inferred from the context (i) verbs of motion:--
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may (because a thing is permissible or lawful, because there is sufficient cause)
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in the Northumbrian Gospels the verb is used as an auxiliary in the translation of the Latin subjunctive, or fut. indic.
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Etymology
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
);
Linked entries
v.  mæg.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “MAGAN.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/22272.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • MAGAN, v.

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