different between road vs may

English

Alternative forms

• rade (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English rode, rade (“ride, journey”), from Old English r?d (“riding, hostile incursion”), from Proto-West Germanic *raidu, from Proto-Germanic *raid? (“a ride”), from Proto-Indo-European *reyd?- (“to ride”). Doublet of raid, acquired from Scots, and West Frisian reed (paved trail/road, driveway).

The current primary meaning of "street, way for traveling" originated relatively late—Shakespeare seemed to expect his audiences to find it unfamiliar—and probably arose through reinterpetation of roadway as a tautological compound.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: r?d, IPA^(key): /???d/
• (General American) enPR: r?d, IPA^(key): /?o?d/
• Rhymes: -??d
• Homophones: Rhode, rode, rowed

Noun

road (plural roads)

1. A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane. [from 16th c.]
2. (uncountable) Roads in general as a means of travel, especially by motor vehicle.

3. A way or route.
   • 1855-1857, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit

     He stirred up his hair with his sprightliest expression, glanced at the little figure again, said ‘Good evening, ma ‘am; don’t come down, Mrs Affery, I know the road to the door,’ and steamed out.
4. (figuratively) A path chosen in life or career. [from 17th c.]
   • 1964, Ronald Reagan: A Time for Choosing

     Where, then, is the road to peace?
5. An underground tunnel in a mine. [from 18th c.]
6. (US, rail transport) A railway or (Britain, rail transport) a single railway track. [from 19th c.]
7. (obsolete) The act of riding on horseback. [9th-17th c.]
8. (obsolete) A hostile ride against a particular area; a raid. [9th-19th c.]
9. (nautical, often in the plural) A partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor; a roadstead. [from 14th c.]
   • c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act V scene i^[2]:

     Antonio: Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; / For here I read for certain that my ships / Are safely come to road.

   • 1630, John Smith, True Travels, in Kupperman 1988, page 38:

     There delivering their fraught, they went to Scandaroone; rather to view what ships was in the Roade, than any thing else […].

10. (obsolete) A journey, or stage of a journey.
    • c. 1613, William Shakespeare, Henry VIII, Act IV scene ii^[3]:

      At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester; / Lodg'd in the abbey, where the reverend abbot, / With all his convent, honourably receiv'd him; […]

Usage notes

Often used interchangeably with street or other similar words. When usage is distinguished, a road is a route between settlements (reflecting the etymological relation with ride), as in the Great North Road from London to Edinburgh, while a street is a route within a settlement (city or town), strictly speaking paved.

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:road

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

road (not comparable)

1. (US, Canada, sports, chiefly attributive) At the venue of the opposing team or competitor; on the road.
2. (Britain, Slang) Having attributes, primarily masculine, suggesting a tendency towards minor crime. Usually used by youths endearingly; glorifying crime.

Synonyms

• (at the venue of the opposing team or competitor): away (UK)

Anagrams

• A-Rod, Dora, Rado, orad, orda

Estonian

Noun

road

1. nominative plural of roog

Swedish

Etymology

past participle of roa.

Adjective

road (not comparable)

1. amused, entertained

Declension

Related terms

• lättroad
• oroad

Anagrams

• orda

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?, IPA^(key): /me?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Etymology 1

From Middle English mowen, mayen, mo?en, ma?en, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *magan?, from Proto-Indo-European *meg?-.

Cognate with Dutch mag (“may”, first and third-person singular of mogen (“to be able to, be allowed to, may”)), Low German mögen, German mag (“like”, first and third-person singular of mögen (“to like, want, require”)), Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

Verb

may (third-person singular simple present may, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). [8th–17th c.]
2. (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. [8th–17th c.]
3. (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. [from 9th c.]
4. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. [from 9th c.]

   Synonyms: can, could, might

5. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. [from 13th c.]

   Synonyms: could, might

6. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). [from 16th c.]

   Synonym: might

7. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.

Usage notes

• May is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of to be allowed to are used to replace these missing tenses.
• The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of may is might
• The present tense is negated as may not, which can be contracted to mayn't, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as might not, which can be contracted to mightn't.
• May has archaic second-person singular present forms mayest and mayst.
• Usage of this word in the sense of possibly is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word might instead.
• Conversely, since may not is particularly likely to promote confusion between the senses of "will possibly not" and "is forbidden to," some rules for the drafting of laws and regulations proscribe "may not" and require the use of "must not" or similar for clarity. Example: [2]
• Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word may, as in Have a great day! rather than May you have a great day. The use of may for this purpose may lend a more formal, literary, or solemn feeling (perhaps jocularly so) to the wish. Moreover, wishes in the subjunctive need not use may if the meaning is clear without it, which is the case mainly for established expressions in the third-person singular such as God help you.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Appendix:English modal verbs
• Appendix:English tag questions

Etymology 2

French mai, so called because it blossoms in the month of May.

Noun

may (uncountable)

1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

Derived terms

• Italian may
• mayhaw

Translations

Verb

may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)

1. (poetic, intransitive) To gather may, or flowers in general.
2. (poetic, intransitive) To celebrate May Day.

Etymology 3

Shortening of maid, from maiden.

Noun

may (plural mays)

1. (archaic) A maiden.

Anagrams

• Amy, MYA, Mya, Yam, mya, yam

Azerbaijani

Noun

may (definite accusative may?, plural maylar)

1. May

Declension

See also

• (Gregorian calendar months) ay; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avqust, sentyabr, oktyabr, noyabr, dekabr ^{(Category: az:Months)}

Bikol Central

Verb

may

1. there is
2. to have

Synonyms

• igwa

Antonyms

• mayo
• wara

Crimean Tatar

Noun

may

1. butter, oil

Declension

Synonyms

• ya?

Kalasha

Determiner

may

1. my

Pronoun

may

1. me

Mapudungun

Adverb

may (using Raguileo Alphabet)

1. yes

References

• Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Northern Kurdish

Noun

may m

1. intervention

Derived terms

• mayê xwe tê dan
• maytêder
• maytêderî
• maytêker
• maytêkerî
• mayê xwe tê kirin

Quechua

Adverb

may

1. where
2. like, how, very

Derived terms

• maykama
• mayman
• maymanta
• maypi

See also

• may may

Pronoun

may

1. (interrogative pronoun) which

Verb

may

1. (transitive) to fear

Conjugation

Tagalog

Particle

may

1. particle used as an existential marker

   Antonym: wala

Synonyms

• mayroon
• meron

Tatar

Alternative forms

• ??? (may)

Noun

may

1. May (Month of the Year)

Declension

See also

• Previous: äpril. * Next: yün

Uzbek

Etymology

From Russian ??? (maj), from Latin m?ius.

Noun

may (plural maylar)

1. May

Declension

Related terms

• (Gregorian calendar months) oy; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avgust, sentabr, oktabr, noyabr, dekabr ^{(Category: uz:Months)}

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà N?i) IPA^(key): [maj??]
• (Hu?) IPA^(key): [maj??]
• (H? Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ma(?)j??]

Etymology 1

Cognate with Muong b?l.

Verb

may • (????, ????, ????, ????)

1. to sew

Derived terms

See also

• khâu

Etymology 2

Adjective

may • (?, ?, ????, ????, ????, ????, ????)

1. lucky

   Synonym: hên

Derived terms

Walloon

Etymology

From Old French mai, from Latin M?ius.

Noun

may

1. May (month)

See also

• (Gregorian calendar months) djanvî, fevrî, måss, avri, may, djun, djulete, awousse, setimbe, octôbe, nôvimbe, decimbe ^{(Category: wa:Months)}