megn

From Middle High German megen, from Old High German mugan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-. Cognates include German mögen, Yiddish מעגן (megn), Dutch mogen, English may, Icelandic mega, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan), Serbo-Croatian moći, Bulgarian мога (moga).

• IPA^(key): /ˈme̞ːŋ/

megn (past participle megn)

1. (transitive) to like (something or someone)

   I måg koan Kas. ― I don't like cheese.

   I måg di. ― I like you.

   Mågst du Epfe? ― Do you like apples?

2. (transitive) to want something

   Synonyms: mechtn, woin

   Mågst an Åpfe? ― Do you want an apple?

   Na, i måg a Bier. ― No, I want a beer.

3. (auxiliary, with infinitive) to want to (do something)

   Synonyms: mechtn, woin

   I måg eam ned frågn. ― I don't want to ask him.

   I måg spuin. ― I want to play.

From the noun magn (“power, strength”), itself from Old Norse magn.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛkn/

  Rhymes: -ɛkn

megn (comparative megnari, superlative megnastur)

1. (chiefly in the negative) strong, potent

   megn óþefur

   a strong malodour

   megn óánægja

   strong dissatisfaction

megn n (genitive singular megns, no plural)

1. strength
2. the main part of something

   Megnið af peningunum fór í fæði og húsnæði.

   Most of the money went to room and board.

• vera um megn (“to be too much for someone”)
• reyna eftir megni (“to try as one can”)
• af fremsta megni (“to the best of one's ability”)