motan

From Proto-West Germanic *mōtan, from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną.

Cognate with Old Saxon mōtan, Old High German muozan (German müssen), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌰𐌽 (gamōtan).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoː.tɑn/

mōtan

1. can (to be allowed)
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Rōmāne hæfdon þā nīewlīċe ġesett þæt þā þe hætt beran mōston, þonne hīe hwelċ folc oferwunnen hæfdon, þæt þā mōston ǣġðer habban ġe feorh ġe frēodōm.

     The Romans had recently passed a law that whenever they conquered a people, anyone who was allowed to wear a hat could keep both their life and their freedom.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans

     Be þām hringum man meahte witan hwæt Rōmāna duguþe ġefeallen wæs, for þon þe hit wæs þēaw mid him on þām dagum þæt nān ōðer ne mōste gyldenne hring werian būtan hē æðeles cynnes wǣre.

     You could tell by the rings how much of the Roman nobility had fallen, because the custom back then was that no one could wear a gold ring unless they were from a noble family.

   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History:

     “Mīn fæder, mōt iċ þē āwihtes āscian?” Cwæþ hē, “Āsca þæs þe þū wille.”

     “My father, can I ask you something?”
     He said, “Ask whatever you want.”

2. (rare) must

• Middle English: moten
  • Scots: mote, mot, moit
  • English: mote
• ⇒ Old English: mōste (preterite)
  • Middle English: moste
    • Scots: moste, most, moist
    • English: must

From Proto-West Germanic *mōtan.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoːtɑn/

mōtan

1. to may, to be able to

   gern uuas he suīðo that he it thurh ferhtan hugi frummean mōsti

   He was really willing that he may accomplish it with wise thoughts

   (Heliand, verse 93)

2. to must, to be allowed to

   than mōtun gi thea fruma ēgan

   Then you have to possess the profit

   (Heliand, verse 1460)

• Middle Low German: môten, moste (past)
  • German Low German: möten
  • → Old Swedish: most (late)
    • Swedish: måste

Unknown. Probably from motoc, possibly influenced by mâțan. See cotoi.

• IPA^(key): /moˈtan/

motan m (plural motani)

1. tomcat
2. (epithet given to) a person who is uncommunicative, secretive, hypocritical.

• cotoi
• mâț
• mâță
• mâțan
• mâțoi
• motoc
• pisică
• pisoi

• motan in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)