might

The word 'might' has a dual lineage as both a noun and a verb, stemming from a single Proto-Germanic root mahtiz and maht. This root itself descends from the Proto-Indo-European base magh-, meaning "to be able, have power." In Old English, the noun miht directly denoted physical or spiritual power. Concurrently, the verb form evolved as a preterite-present verb, where its past tense form took on a present meaning, eventually specializing as a modal verb expressing permission or possibility. This semantic journey from concrete "power" to the abstract grammatical function of expressing potentiality illustrates a common path of linguistic grammaticalization.

This is a simplex word. It is a Germanic root word inherited from Old English miht, meahte, meaning "power, strength, ability." It functioned as both a noun and the preterite-present verb form of magan ("to be able").