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Anglo-Saxon

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magan

Dictionary links
Wright's OE grammar
§78; §240; §481; §544;
For 'does not occur in W. S. , but' substitute: magan = posse occurs in Angl. xiii. 389, 337 : Scint. 46, 6 : 159, 6; in 1. 8 for mágon l. magon.
add
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  • Ne magon hý ús þonne ǽnige góde,

      Wlfst. 122, 7.

  • Ne ástyra ðú yrsunga unmihtigum men, ðeáh ðe ðú mæge bet, Hex. 46, 2. ¶ magan tó :-- Þás úus magon tó genógon

    nobis istn sufficiunt,

      Chrd. 90, 8.
  • Hé wæs smeágende hwæt tó bóte mihte æt þǽm fǽrcwealme. Ll. Th. i. 270, 9. ¶ magan wiþ.
dat.
or uncertain
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  • Ǽlc wiht mæg bet wyð cyle þonne wið hǽte

    omnia pene animantia patientius et tolerabilius ad summum frigoris quam ad summum caloris accedant,

      Ors. i. i; S. 24, 29.

  • Þá getweóde hié hwæðer hié wið him mæhten

    cum desistendum certamine propter metum periculi arbitrarentur,

    i.
      14; S. 56, 31.

  • Mehte,

      4, 6; S. 170, 21.
with acc.
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  • Philippuse geþúhte þæt hé leng mid folcgefeohtum wið hié ne mehte,

      Ors. 3, 7; S. 118, 18.
i. expressing possibility where there are no prohibitive conditions
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  • Hæbbe hé ungeligenra manna gewitnesse þe man gelýfan mæge,

      Ll. Th. i. 158, 13.

  • Hý smeádon hú heora frið betere beón mæhte,

      162, 2.

  • Begytan hine magan forgyfenysse gelýfe

    consequi se posse ueniam credat,

      Scint. 46, 6.

  • Hé sǽde náne gyltas magan beón álýsede. . .

    dixit nulla scelera posse redemi.

    . ,
      159, 6.
expressing the admissibility or certainty of a supposition
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  • For ðám hé mæig wénan, gyf hé ꝥ ǽr forgýmð, ꝥ . . .

    qua scire debel, si minus hoc servabit. . . ,

      Ll. Th. i. 440, 13.

  • Wite þú for sóð, gif ꝥ þíne ágne welan wǽron þe þú mǽndest ꝥ þú forlure, ne mihtest þú hí forleósan,

      Bt. 7, 3 ; F. 20, 18.

  • Hé geséþ swá eáþelíce crístenne magan þolian

    ipse testatur Tam facile Xpianum posse carere,

      Angl. xiii. 389, 337.
c. i. Add
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  • Mid scipun þe mon dulmunus hǽtt, þe mon sægð þæt on án scip mæge án þúsend manna

    it is said that a thousand men can be put into one ship,

      Ors. 1. 10; S. 46, 33.
IV. expressing permission or sanction. add: — Ágyf þíne scíre, ne miht (mæht, L. ) þú lencg túnscíre bewitan, (iom non poteris uilicare ],
    Lk. 16, 2.
Gyf hé wel áginnan wile, ne mæig hé sleac beón,
    Angl. ix. 259, 21.
Bútan hé þone geréfan hæbbe þe þæs wyrðe sý þe ꝥ dón mæge, Ll. Th. i. 280, 15. IV a. in a legal statute may = shall or
must
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  • .x. wintre cniht mæg bión þiéfðe gewita

    a boy of ten shall be liable for complicity in a case of theft;

    puer decem annorum debet scire ne furtum faciat,
      Ll. Th. i. 106, 18.

  • Gyf hit ðonne elles funden sý, ðonne mæg ꝥ forfangfeoh leóhtre beón,

      226, 5.

  • Ic hæbbe gecoren and míne witan hwæt seó steór beón mæge, 276, 31. IV 3 c. ii. add :-- On ǽghwelc þára fata mihte twégen mittan oþþe þreó (cf.

    hyrdriae capientes singuli metretas binas vel ternas,

      Ju. 2, 6), Shrn. 48, 29.
Similar entries
v. ofer-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/55059.

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