The article deals with the cases of contextual subjectification of the meaning of the Middle English verb "may/mighte" in "The Canterbury Tales" by G.Chaucer. The purpose of the research is to define the pragmatic factors of its grammaticalization as a marker of the speech acts of permission and assertion.

The concept of correctness which has been inherited by medieval roman authors from ancient tradition, means be in accordance with the rules that has not been established by dictionary and by grammar, but has already existed in language practice and has been approved in society. The analysis of medieval...