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.

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)