(a) To be strong, have power, avail, prevail; avail (sb.), help; be worthy [quot.: Cursor (Trin-C)]; ~ ayen(es, prevail against (sth.), overcome; ~ over, have power over (sb.), prevail over; ~ to, be helpful to (sb.), avail (sb.), be useful for (sth.); ~ with, be effective against (sth.); (b) to endure, fare; (c) ppl. might as adj.: mighty.

To be able (to do sth.), be able (to endure, undergo, or have sth.); of things: be capable of (doing sth., producing an effect): (a) present forms with pr. or fut. meaning; (b) in negative clauses [in which sense 2a. is most readily distinguished from sense 3.]; (c) past forms with past meaning [cp. sense 4.]; (d) in neg. clauses; (e) present or past forms in passive constructions.

With certain verbs: (a) ~ do (idon), don ~, to be able to do (sth.), can do, can accomplish; what he best don mighte, what were best for him to do; (b) in proverbs; (c) ~ ben, ~ worthen, can be or become (sth.); (d) ~ spenden, to be able to spend (so much), have (a certain) income.

In weakened varieties of sense 2., in which the ability or potentiality becomes mere possibility, or is made contingent upon something else: to perhaps be able (to do or have sth., etc.), might be able; may, might; thou mightest haven ben, you might have been; thou might him with maken the saughtnes, you can perhaps be reconciled with him, you might make peace with him; that thei ~ sen, in order that they may see; if þou might haven, if you might have, if you might get; hou he mighten him helpen out, how they might be able to help him out; -- used to express doubt, uncertainty, contrariness to fact, a wish, a purpose, etc.; -- often used in if, hou, or that clause: (a) present forms; (b) past forms with past meaning [cp. sense 4.]; (c) in passive constructions.

Past tense forms with present or future meaning: (a) to be able (to do sth., be sth., etc.); hou mightest thou gon, how would it be possible for you to go, how can (could) you go; that we al mighten underyeten, that we all may (might) be able to understand; (b) to perhaps be able (to do sth.); that mighte so fallen, that may happen; mighte i riden, if I may (might) ride; þou mightest bettre meten mist, you may as well measure the mist; (c) in wishes and requests: ai mighte he liven, may he live forever!; crist him mighte blessen, may Christ bless him!

With implied infinitive or predicate drawn from the context, usually from the preceding clause: (a) to be able to (do or make or be sth., etc.); beyete se the mai, let him get who can (get); thei beten him..and mouen no more, they beat him..and cannot (beat him) any more; in prov.: on dai bringeth that al yer ne mai, one day brings what all the year cannot (bring); -- present forms; (b) al that thou might, as muchel as thou might, in al that thou mai (might), in as muche as thou might, as much as you are able (to do, make, get, abate, draw, injure), all that you can; in (al) that he mai, so muche so he mai, as much as he is able (to honor, etc.), all that he can; al that he mai, all that she can, as much as she can [quot.: Orm. 6199]; (c) to be able (to do, be, take, plunder, etc.); the while that he mighten, while they were able (to make amends); to helpen what he mighte, help as far as he was able (to help); -- past forms with past meaning, also with present or future meaning.

With implied inf. or pred. from context: to perhaps be able [often difficult to distinguish from 5a.]: (a) present forms; (b) past forms.

With implied verb of motion, action, being, etc., not drawn from the immediate context: (a) with implied gon: to be able to go; ~ over, over ~, climb upon (sb.); fig. get the better of (sb.), subdue; i ne mai nought ther-to, I cannot attain to it, I cannot comprehend it; what he mighte, as fast as he could go; (b) with implied don: to be able to do, be able to do (sth.); and he mai as he mente, if he can do as he intends (?says); i mai no more, I can do no more; mighte she werse mighte she bet, if she did worse or if she did better, in spite of all that she could do; we mouen no thing ayenes treuth, we can do nothing against truth; (c) in proverb: be able to do something; he ne mai when he wile the nolde tho he mighte, he who would not do it when he could do it will not be able to do it when he wishes to do it; (d) with implied ben: can be; as il as he mighte, as ill as he was; that to god ~, that which can be for good, that which can be beneficial; (e) with implied beren: to be able to bear (sth.), can endure; (f) with implied verb of eating or drinking; (g) with implied verb of having or getting; ~ forebisen, to have or take an example (from sth.); if he the maistrie mai, if he can have the mastery; as longe as thei mouen, as long as they can have it; (h) with implied verb of accomplishing; if that tristrem mai, if Tristram can bring it about; in al that he mai, as fast as he can do it; (i) with implied verb of preventing or avoiding; as ye mai, as you can avoid it; if (and) i mai, if I can prevent it, if I can stop you (it); if that i mai, if I can avoid it; she mighte hit nought, she could not prevent (help) it; (j) ?with implied haven as part of verb phrase; mighte..sustened, might have sustained.

In senses very close to those of OE mōtan or MnE may [although the verb frequently retains something of the usual meaning of OE mæg, magon together with the newer sense]: (a) to be permitted (to do sth.), be allowed, may; (b) to be permitted (to have sth., be sth., be somewhere).

In senses resembling those of MnE shall, will, should, would [usually with vestiges of the older senses of mouen]: (a) expressing futurity: shall, will; (b) in narratives, etc.: ~ heren (iheren), you will hear, etc.; ~ leren (witen, haven mirthe); ~ seien (tellen), I shall tell, etc.; (c) expressing past futurity: should, would; (d) mighte taken herberge, would grant lodging, ?wished to grant lodging.

In senses resembling those of ME ouen and shulen [also cp. OE þurfan]: (a) ought (to do sth.), should (do sth.), be obligated, be advised, have it coming to one as one's due; ne might thou..so flen, you should not (are ill-advised to) flee thus; with implied verb: i wel mai, I surely ought to be satisfied; -- often with neg.; (b) must; (c) to have good reason (to do or be sth.); -- also with implied infin.; blithe mouen ye ben, you have reason to be glad; i mai ben wroth, I have reason to be angry; thou mightest wel compleinen, you have good cause to lament; ~ wel, wel ~, ~ lelli, ~ rightli.