What is "may be"

May \May\ (m[=a]), v. [imp. Might (m[imac]t)] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. [root]103. Cf. Dismay, Main strength, Might. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifying the meaning of another verb, by expressing:

1. Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can.

   How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health!
   --Spenser.

   For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible.
   --Bacon.

   For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: ``It might have been.''
   --Whittier.

2. Liberty; permission; allowance.

   Thou mayst be no longer steward.
   --Luke xvi. 2.

3. Contingency or liability; possibility or probability.

   Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance.
   --Pope.

4. Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark.

   How old may Phillis be, you ask.
   --Prior.

5. Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. ``May you live happily.''
   --Dryden.

   May be, & It may be, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, maybe, by chance, peradventure. See 1st Maybe.

adv. (misspelling of maybe English)