Types of meanings denoted by the verb may
Розміщено 11-05-10 у розділі Освіта.
Типи значень, які виражає модальне дієслово may
Primary meaning of the verb may (Old English mæg ) was “to be strong, to have a power or authority; to be able, can”, in Modern English – the meaning “to be strong or able, can”.
In the meaning of power, strength, health, as for example:
ic mæg wel (I am in good health), hu mæg he? (how is he?) – mæg finds the analogy in such Ukrainian colloquialisms as “щось не можеться”.
Thus, in its primary meaning may was a verb of full predication, it could limit the structure of the predicate.
In the meaning “to have a power, authority, to overcome with strength, power” may is found in the Old English:
Ne hi ne for – boren biscopes land, ne abbots, ne preostes, ac ræveden munekes and clereces and æuric man other pe over myghte (Pet. Chr., an. 1154, Sm. 30).
(Вони не жаліли ані земель єпископів, ані абатів, ані священників і грабували монахів, і церковнослужбовців, і усіх інших, кого переважали силою) [6; p. 47].
Verb may in the Old English period also had the meaning of permission, permissibility on account of, in accordance with custom, rule, law etc. For example, Hit ne meahte swa meant : It was not allowed.
In the Modern English period verb may also has the meaning of permission and objective possibility in terms of absence of barriers, and also the meaning of supposition, uncertainty.
This modal verb has two forms: may for the present tense and might for the past.
Modal verb may can express possibility when the sentence bears problematic, hypothetical character:
e.g. “”They got Bill, and they may get me, but they’ll sure never get you, young man, “ he said, addressing the dead body in its tree-sepulcher”.
(“До Білла добралися, і до мене, можливо, доберуться, але вас молодий чоловіче, їм не дістати – сказав він звертаючись до мерця, похованого високо на деревах”.) [29; p. 23].
e.g. “No, no”, said Miss Carter, “as you said yourself, he may be right – or rather, I don’t actually think he’s right…”.
(“Ні, ні” – сказала міс Картер, – “так як ти сказав він можливо правий але скоріш за все я не вірю що він правий…”) [30; p. 84].
e.g. “You may want a friend someday”
(“Можливо, колись вам знадобиться друг”) [6; p.49].
In the Ukrainian language the verb may corresponds in parenthetical meaning to modal words as “напевно”, “мабуть”, or the verb “могти” in this meaning. (He may still come – Він , можливо, ще прийде; він ще може прийти). In the English language may corresponds to such modal words as perhaps, maybe.
Often we use past form of modal verb may – might. In such case we strengthen the element of uncertainty:
e.g. “I think we might be great friends”
(“Я вважаю, ми могли б стати чудовими друзями”) [6; p.50].
e.g. “While old One Eye, the wolf, crouching in the covert, played his part, too, in the game, waiting for some strange freak of Chance that might help him on the meat-trail which was his way of life.”
(“Старий вовк також брав участь у цій грі із своєї засідки, з надією на те, що можливо щастя опиниться на його боці і він здобуде їжу, необхідну для життя”.) [29; p. 44].
In the meaning of supposition in the past, we use may with perfect form of the infinitive:
e.g. “We may have missed the turning. I’ll recognize something in a moment”.
(“Можливо ми проїхали поворот. Я впізнала щось у цю мить”) [30; p. 87].
e.g. “That may have been all right for the last generation; the country is more crowded now”.
(“Це, можливо, підходило для минулого покоління, тепер населення країни збільшилось”) [6; p. 50].
Modal verb may is used when we want to express permission, request:
e.g. “May I come, Mr. Doolittle? I should be very sorry to miss your wedding”
(“Можна увійти, містер Дулітл? Мені прикро що я пропустив ваше весілля”.) [31; p. 141].
e.g. “May I ask whether you complain of your treatment here?”
(“Можна спитати чому ви скаржитеся на своє лікування тут?”) [6; p.51].
Modal verb may can expresses possibility which really exists. We can see it distinctly when modal verb is in combination with the verbs of perception (to see, to hear):
e.g. “It might have been a lost soul wailing, had it not been invested with a certain sad fierceness and hungry eagerness”.
(“Його можна було прийняти за стогін якоїсь померлої душі, якби у ньому не відчувалася понура лють і озлоблення голоду.”) [29; p. 5].
In other examples this meaning of modal verb may is less distinctly:
e.g. “He was suspicious of the looming bulks of the trees and of the dark shadows that might conceal all manner of perilous things”.
(“Він вдивлявся у невиразні обриси високих дерев, у густі тіні між ними, де можливо причаївся ворог”) [29; p. 91].
e.g. “I suffered most from the notion that people might guess my state”.
(“Особливо я страждав від думки, що люди можуть здогадатися про мій стан”.) [6; p.52].
Modal verb may in the past form might is used in emotionally-coloured speech when it expresses displeasure, reproach:
e.g. “Really, mamma, you might have spared Freddy that!”
(“Справді, мама, ти могла б звільнити Фредді від цього”.) [31; p. 9].
e.g. “Really, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, I think you might work harder”.
(“Справді, приймаючи до уваги, що я збираюся подарувати тобі мою тачку, ти міг би, я вважаю, працювати старанніше”.) [6; p.52].
Thus, the main meanings of modal verb may are possibility, supposition, permission, reproach.
Теги: in English, дипломні
