MAYST Meaning and
Definition
-
Mayst is an archaic English word derived from the combination of "may" and the second person singular pronoun "thou," which was commonly used in Early Modern English. It is the poetic and antiquated form of "mayest," which is the second person singular form of the verb "may."
Mayst serves as the auxiliary verb "may" conjugated specifically for the second person singular pronoun "thou." In this context, it indicates the possibility or permission for someone to do something. It expresses the capability, opportunity, or likelihood for an action, event, or state to occur, specifically when addressing an individual directly.
With its connection to Early Modern English, mayst is often found in the works of William Shakespeare and other poets of that era. Due to its archaic usage, it has fallen out of common parlance in contemporary English. However, it remains significant in the study of literature and the understanding of the historical development of the English language.
In modern-day English, "mayst" is generally superseded by the more commonly used "may" and its present-day conjugations like "may" (first and third person) and "might" (past tense and subjunctive mood). Nonetheless, "mayst" adds a unique touch of historical flavor and poetic formality when encountered in older literary texts or when intentionally employed in contemporary creative writing to achieve an antiquated effect.
Common Misspellings for MAYST
Etymology of MAYST
The word "mayst" is an archaic form of the second-person singular present tense of the verb "may". The etymology of "may" can be traced back to Middle English and Old English.
In Middle English, the word was spelled as "mayen" and derived from the Old English word "magen", which means "to be able". Both Middle English and Old English forms can be traced further back to the Proto-Germanic word "magan", and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root "*magh-" which carries the meaning "to be able" or "to have power".
Over time, the form of the verb "may" underwent changes, and "mayst" emerged as the second-person singular present tense form used during the Middle English period. However, with the evolution of the English language, this form of "may" fell out of common use and is now considered archaic.
Conjugate verb Mayst
CONDITIONAL
I
would mayst
you
would mayst
he/she/it
would mayst
we
would mayst
they
would mayst
CONDITIONAL CONTINUOUS
I
would be maysting
you
would be maysting
he/she/it
would be maysting
we
would be maysting
they
would be maysting
CONDITIONAL PERFECT
I
would have mayst
you
would have mayst
he/she/it
would have mayst
we
would have mayst
they
would have mayst
CONDITIONAL PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
would have been maysting
you
would have been maysting
he/she/it
would have been maysting
we
would have been maysting
they
would have been maysting
FUTURE
I
will mayst
you
will mayst
he/she/it
will mayst
we
will mayst
they
will mayst
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
I
will be maysting
you
will be maysting
he/she/it
will be maysting
we
will be maysting
they
will be maysting
FUTURE PERFECT
I
will have maysted
you
will have maysted
he/she/it
will have maysted
we
will have maysted
they
will have maysted
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
will have been maysting
you
will have been maysting
he/she/it
will have been maysting
we
will have been maysting
they
will have been maysting
IMPERATIVE
you
mayst
we
let´s mayst
to mayst
PAST
I
maysted
you
maysted
he/she/it
maysted
we
maysted
they
maysted
PAST CONTINUOUS
I
was maysting
you
were maysting
he/she/it
was maysting
we
were maysting
they
were maysting
PAST PARTICIPLE
maysted
PAST PERFECT
I
had maysted
you
had maysted
he/she/it
had maysted
we
had maysted
they
had maysted
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
had been maysting
you
had been maysting
he/she/it
had been maysting
we
had been maysting
they
had been maysting
PRESENT
I
mayst
you
mayst
he/she/it
maysts
we
mayst
they
mayst
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
I
am maysting
you
are maysting
he/she/it
is maysting
we
are maysting
they
are maysting
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
maysting
PRESENT PERFECT
I
have maysted
you
have maysted
he/she/it
has maysted
we
have maysted
they
have maysted
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
have been maysting
you
have been maysting
he/she/it
has been maysting
we
have been maysting
they
have been maysting
