[Grammar] Might

[constantinusphilo]

Is 'might' used correctly here?

In the night they (the nightmares) might assail me anew, but I recognized them and, even in dreams, laughed them to scorn, until they relinquished all claim to arise and live in reality and the light of day.

Hjalmar Söderberg, Doctor Glas, trans. Paul Britten Austin (London: The Harvill Press, 2002).

 

[GoesStation]

Yes. The writer recognized that nightmares were troubling him/her and knew that they didn't represent real life.

 

[Rover_KE]

It looks good to me.

 

[constantinusphilo]

Should it not be 'may have'?

 

[probus]

I'm with Goes and Rover: might is right. :-D

I leave it to the grammarians to explain why.

 

[tedmc]

May have is in the present tense. The sentence is in the past tense.

 

[constantinusphilo]

'Might' cannot be used in the main clause in the past meaning unless archaic.

 

[5jj]

It's not common, but it can be so used.