---
title: mayst — Early Modern English dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «mayst» in the Early Modern English dictionary: May; be allowed to; might. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# mayst

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**Who acts:** he, Thou, son, man, barns, ye · **What happens:** allow, say, go, live, go away, be · **To what, where:** tongues, man · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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«mayst» in the Early Modern English dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [mayst in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/mayst.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
May; be allowed to; might.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:mayst:m1:1
# text = May; be allowed to; might.
1	May	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
7	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | may · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V S\_ING» |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Of course thou mayst," said he.

<!-- .note -->
From Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:mayst:x1:1
# text = Of course thou mayst," said he.
1	Of	of	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADV	4	advmod	_	_
2	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	fixed	_	_
3	thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	4	nsubj	_	_
4	mayst	may	AUX	MD	Style=Arch|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
7	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"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.

<!-- .note -->
From Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* "Thou mayst as well go home then," said Oh, "but thy son shall live with me yet another year."

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:mayst:x2:1
# text = "Thou mayst as well go home then," said Oh, "but thy son shall live with me yet another year."
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	6	nsubj	_	_
3	mayst	may	AUX	MD	Style=Arch|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	as	as	ADV	RB	ExtPos=CCONJ	6	cc	_	_
5	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	fixed	_	_
6	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	ccomp	_	_
7	home	home	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
11	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	Oh	oh	INTJ	UH	_	11	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
16	thy	thy	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
18	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	live	live	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
20	with	with	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	19	obl	_	_
22	yet	yet	ADV	RB	_	24	advmod	_	_
23	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	24	det	_	_
24	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** *in a quote* | may | Thou |  |  |  | then | home *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **live** *in a quote* | shall | thy son |  |  |  | year | with me | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme with i=Location |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* So the man went away, sad at heart.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:mayst:x2:2
# text = So the man went away, sad at heart.
1	So	so	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	away	away	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go away** | past | the man |  |  |  |  | away, sad *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
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?

<!-- .note -->
From Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.

<!-- fold The tree, 28 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:mayst:x3:1
# text = 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?
1	Are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
2	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	9	expl	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	barns	barn	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
5	outside	outside	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
6	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	9	advmod	_	_
7	thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	9	nsubj	_	_
8	mayst	may	AUX	MD	Style=Arch|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	put	put	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	up	up	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	Hold	hold	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	9	parataxis	_	_
17	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	tongues	tongue	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
20	ye	ye	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	21	nsubj	_	_
21	accursed	accurs	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	advcl	_	_
22	wretches	wretch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	25	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	22	punct	_	_
25	replied	reply	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	21	ccomp	_	_
26	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
27	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	33	punct	_	_
29	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	33	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	33	obj	_	_
31	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	33	aux	_	_
32	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	33	nsubj	_	_
33	got	get	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	16	conj	_	_
34	to	to	PART	TO	_	35	mark	_	_
35	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	33	xcomp	_	_
36	with	with	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
37	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	35	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
38	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | may · present | no barns |  |  | there |  | outside, put *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **hold** | infinitive |  | your tongues |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tongue=Theme |
| 3 | **accurs** | past | ye |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **reply** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | wretches | the man |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent man=Topic |
| 5 | **get** | present · perfect | it |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **do** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | with you | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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**Text:** the Early Modern English dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova; its examples quote public-domain texts. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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