Etymologically
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mogen

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈmoːɣə(n)/[1]

Forms

mogen (present mag; past mocht, plural mochten; past participle gemogen)[2][3] Regional meugen is the older form of the infinitive, still used in dialects.[4][1] Middle Dutch also had meughen and mueghen.[5][6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch mogen, inherited from Old Dutch mugan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *magan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *maganą (“to be able”).[7][1][8] The same verb is Old Saxon mugan, Old High German magan (modern German mögen), Old English magan (modern English may), Old Norse mega and Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan).[7][5][9] It is a preterite-present: in Proto-Germanic the past-tense forms of a strong verb, with ⟨*mag-⟩, came to serve as its present, and a new infinitive and a new past tense were then formed, as in deugen.[7] The present ⟨mag⟩ keeps the old vowel.[5][2] The forms with ⟨*mug-⟩, to which the modern infinitive goes back, arose later on the model of ⟨*skal, *skul-⟩ (zullen) and ⟨*kann, *kunn-⟩ (kunnen).[7][5]

The further origin is unclear.[7] Only Old Church Slavonic мошти (mošti, “to be able”) is certainly related; probably Ancient Greek μάχομαι (mákhomai, “to fight”), with an unexplained ⟨a⟩, and Lithuanian mėgti (“to like”) belong here too, which would make a root Proto-Indo-European *mogʰ-.[7][9] Kroonen sets up the same root and explains the verb as an old perfect.[9] Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “means, device”), the source of machine, and μέγας (mégas, “big”) are often compared but probably unrelated.[7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb first appears in the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms in the sense “can, be possible”: so mohti geburran, “so it could happen”.[7][8] Willeram's paraphrase of the Song of Songs, about 1100, says that the thorns nemugan, “cannot”, protect the lily.[7][8] By 1236 Middle Dutch texts use mogen both for being able and for being allowed: vlesch mogen si eten al dat iar, “they may eat meat all the year”.[7][10]

Semantic evolution

The original meaning was “to be able, to be strong”.[7][6] The Middle Dutch dictionary finds only traces of the bodily sense, which lasted into the 17th century in niet meer mogen, to have no strength left (1612), and niet wel mogen, to be unwell (1596).[6][4] “Can” survives in a few constructions such as het mocht niet baten, “it was no use”, and in the derived verb vermogen.[7][11]

From “can” came “to be permitted”, already the main sense in the earliest Middle Dutch texts and the main one today.[7][10] Middle Dutch also used the verb for obligation, hi mach hem scamen, “he ought to be ashamed” (1287), and later for liking: a text of 1300–1325 says of people that they niet en mochten their gods, “hated” them.[7] About 1370 it could mean “to have an appetite for”, a sense Belgian Dutch keeps for food.[7][11] The modern graag mogen “to be fond of” parallels the Lithuanian sense “to like”.[7] In 1984 Reinsma noted u mag as a new polite form of request, as in dan mag u die deur door, “then please go through that door” (1982).[12] Surinamese Dutch uses ik mag for “I am in my rights”.[3]

Papiamentu mag and Sranan Tongo mag mean “power” and in Sranan also “to please”;[13][1] Afrikaans has mag.[13][1]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Old Dutch mohti “could” is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[7][8]
  • c. 1100 – Willeram's paraphrase has nemugan “cannot”.[7][8]
  • 1200 – Middle Dutch mogen is recorded in the Servatius legend.[14][10]
  • 1236 – Mogen “to be allowed” is recorded.[7][10]
  • 1240 – The adjective mogenlic “possible”, modern mogelijk, is recorded.[7]
  • 1287 – Mogen is used for “ought to”.[7]
  • 1300–1325 – Mogen “to like” appears, in the negative.[7]
  • c. 1370 – Mogen “to have an appetite for” is recorded.[7]
  • 1982 – Polite u mag “please” is recorded.[12]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be allowed to, may: Mag ik even je fiets lenen?[11][15][1]
  2. To be permitted: Roken mag hier niet.[11][1]
  3. To have reason to; ought to: Je mag blij zijn dat je niets gebroken hebt.[11][16]
  4. (past tense, in conditions) Expresses a possibility: Mocht het regenen, dan blijven we binnen.[16]
  5. To like someone or something: Ik mag haar wel.[11][1]
  6. (Belgium) To like the taste of a food: Mag jij spruitjes?[11]

Word family

Usage notes

Er mogen zijn means to be quite good, attractive or sizeable.[11][4] Older Dutch used mogen in curses and ironic refusals, such as dat mag je de koekoek!, “no thank you”.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  3. ^ a b Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
  4. ^ a b c Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  8. ^ a b c d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  10. ^ a b c d Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
  13. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  15. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  16. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  17. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu