The N.E.D., p. 99, furnishes English examples.
1300–1885. In either country the form is either dialectic or vulgar.
1821. Dr. Dwight calls mought a Cockneyism.—‘Travels,’ iv. 281.
1843. It was about two o’clock, he guessed, it mought be more, or it mought be less, for he recollected there was a little blast of cloud jist over the sun.—Cornelius Mathews, ‘Writings,’ p. 14.
1847. I think I’ve seen you before; if I mout be so bold, mout your name be Smith?—Sol. Smith, ‘Adventures,’ p. 48.
1847. She came over to that house, and axed me if my wife she moutn’t go.—‘Sketches,’ edited by W. T. Porter, p. 180 (Phila.).
1848. You mought as well look for a needle in a haystack, as to try to find a nigger in New York.—W. T. Thompson, ‘Major Jones’s Sketches of Travel,’ p. 12 (Phila.).
1848. You mought jest as well go to a meetin house to borrow a hand-saw, as go to any of the stores here [in Baltimore] for any thing out of ther line.—Id., p. 75.
1848. I undertuck to go up Broadway on the left hand side of the pavement, but I mought jest as well tried to paddle a canoe up the falls of Tallula.—Id., p. 111.
1848. They mought as well looked for a needle in a shuck-pen, as to try to find him in sich a place.—Id., p. 175.
1855. My wife paternized the Steem Practize and took there medsin the reglar Fackilty mout have save life, then agin they mout not.—Knick. Mag., xlv. 312 (March).
1857. ‘Can you get us across the Rundeep?’ ‘Dunno. We mought. There ’s a hull of a boat up the river a piece, that mought carry you and your luggage over; and ef we could pulll the wagin through the stream, and swim the horses over, we mought do somethin’.’—Id., l. 574 (Dec.).
