Mai German · revision 34836

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=12th century, Old High German glosses|origins=la Māius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /maɪ̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Mai''' ''m'' (genitive Mais or Mai, plural Maie)^(Wiktionary)

+ The short form ''Mai'' appears in the 15th century, but the older disyllabic ''Meie'', ''Maien'' is still found in the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|12, 1469) The noun was weak in Middle High German and gradually became strong, but weak forms such as ''im Maien'' remained in poetry into the 19th century.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|12, 1469)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|meie]], [[inh|goh|meio]], [[bor|la|Māius|t=May]], short for [[m|la|mēnsis Māius|t=the month of May]].^(Kluge 2011|594)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|6, 250) Kluge and the EWA explain the Latin name as that of Jupiter Maius, the god who brings growth, from [[m|la|māior|t=greater]], the comparative of [[m|la|magnus|t=great]].^(Kluge 2011|594)^(EWA|6, 250) Pfeifer and the Duden speak of an Old Italic god Maius, a protector of growth, and Pfeifer connects him with the goddess Maia;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|527)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Wahrig gives the alternative that the month was named after Maia, the mother of Mercury.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|527)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ The same Latin word gave [[it|maggio]], [[fr|mai]] and [[es|mayo]], and, through Medieval Greek, [[ru|май|tr=maj]]; [[dum|meye]], [[nl|mei]], [[sv|maj]] and [[is|maí]] were also taken from Latin, while English [[m|en|May]] came from French.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|6, 250)^(Kluge 2011|594)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''meio'' is recorded only from the 12th century, in glosses that translate Latin ''Maius''.^(EWA|6, 250)^(AWB|6, 375) Two manuscripts of one glossary give the native name ''wunnimānōd'' instead.^(AWB|6, 375) In Middle High German ''meie'' is common from Eilhart (1170–1190) on, also for a maypole, a May song and a spring festival.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB|12, 1469)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As the month of warmth and growth, May was called ''Wonnemonat'' and stood for youth: ''wie einst im Mai'' “as once in May”, the refrain of Hermann von Gilm's poem ''Allerseelen'' (1844), means “as in happier days”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Paul notes the poetic verb ''maien'' “to enliven”, used by Uhland and Schiller.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From the old two-syllable form came ''Maie'', a green tree, branch or bunch set up at the beginning of May or of spring, recorded in the 15th century, and the [[Maibaum]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The [[Maikäfer]] (16th century, earlier ''Majenkefer'' in the 15th) and the [[Maiglöckchen]] (about 1800) are named after the month in which they fly or bloom.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|527) Since 1890 the first of May has been the holiday of the labour movement, with the ''Maifeier''; from 1933 to 1945 it was renamed ''Fest der nationalen Arbeit''.^(Paul 2002) English borrowed ''Maitrank'' in 1858, and translated it as ''May-drink'' in 1850.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – Old High German ''meio'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|6, 250)

+ * 1170–1190 – Middle High German ''meie'' is used by Eilhart.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 15th century – The shortened form ''Mai'' and the noun ''Maie'' “May tree” appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''Maikäfer'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The disyllabic ''Meie'', ''Maien'' is still found.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1800 – ''Maiglöckchen'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1844 – Hermann von Gilm's poem with the refrain ''wie einst im Mai''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1890 – The first of May becomes the holiday of the labour movement.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|May]], the fifth [[m|en|month]] of the year.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' The springtime of life, [[m|en|youth]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Maibaum]]

+ * [[Maifeier]]

+ * [[Maiglöckchen]]

+ * [[Maikäfer]]

+ * [[Maitrank]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Maie]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Der Erste Mai'' is the holiday of the international labour movement.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) The weather proverb ''Mai kühl und nass, füllt dem Bauer Scheuer und Fass'' says that a cool, wet May brings a good harvest.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}